In left photo, parents living in northern Seoul hold a rally in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, demanding international middle schools also be established in northern Seoul. In right photo, members of other civic groups rally to call for the education office to scrap plans to establish two new international middle schools in southern Seoul. They also demanded Seoul’s top educator Kong Jeong-taek to step down as he borrowed money from operators of private cram schools that he has to supervise. Kong has pushed for the establishment of the international schools.
/ Korea Times Photo by Oh Dae-geun |
 By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Seoul's top educator apologized Tuesday for borrowing election campaign money from operators of private cram schools.
Kong Jeong-taek, superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, was found to have borrowed 709 million won from two hagwon owners to run in the first-ever election for his post in July.
At the parliamentary inspection held at the educational office, Kong apologized for causing such a stir. ``I was not acting against my conscience: the thought of granting favors in return for being lent the money never occurred to me. But now I understand that people might have seen it that way,'' he said.
Earlier Monday, Kong was accused of borrowing 509 million won from his election committee leader Choi Myeong-ok, the owner of Jongro M School, one of the most popular cram schools in the country. Then, Kong was revealed to have borrowed another 200 million won from Lee Jae-sik, a director of Soodo Hagwon in central Seoul.
Kong explained that the people who lent him the money were his relative, Lee and old pupil, Choi. ``I have already paid back the money I borrowed from Choi ― with extra interest,'' he said.
Still, the opposition parties are gearing up to oust Kong, who is being criticized for being in favor of private education and an elite school system.
Rep. Kwon Young-ghil of the Democratic Labor Party claimed that Kong has borrowed 1.8 billion won out of 2.2 billion won used for his election campaign from private institute owners. His party also requested the police investigate the case.
Outside the inspecting place in downtown Seoul, dozens of members of civic groups made up mostly of parents held protests urging Kong to resign.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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