Private school foundation under investigation

By Chung Hyun-chae

A private school foundation in Daejeon is under investigation for allegedly taking money from applicants in return for giving them teaching jobs.

The foundation, Daeseong, operates four middle and high schools in Daejeon ― Daeseong High School, Daeseong Middle School, Daesung Girls’ Middle School and Daeseong Girls’ High School ― and Sungnam High School in Sejong.

Prosecutors recently raided the schools and the homes of the foundation’s chairman, Kim Shin-ok, and school officials and seized account books, prosecutors said.

They are soon expected to be summoned for questioning.

“There are rumors that people had to pay 300 million won ($279,000) to the foundation to get a teaching job at its schools,” a source said.

In 2011, unlike other private schools that complete the hiring process by February, Daeseong accepted applications in March, which aroused suspicions that the foundation informally chose new teachers even before the recruiting began.

Prosecutors found out that the foundation has hired unqualified teachers in recent years.

Countering the allegations, an official from Daeseong High School said, “As far as I know, the foundation has never received money for recruitment.”

Aside from the recruitment allegations, Daeseong High School was found to have manipulated its account books during a government audit last year.

The Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, which is responsible for monitoring private schools, has also been criticized for failing to properly examine the schools run by the foundation.