Defense ministry caught diverting funds
By Jun Ji-hyeThe Ministry of National Defense diverted funds to illegally subsidize a school for the children of military officers, the state auditor announced Thursday.Between 2011 and 2014, the ministry received a total of 35 billion won ($30 million) in subsidies allocated to build a dormitory for Hanmin High School, a boarding school for the children of officers founded last year in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.However, the money was used to build a new school building, not a dormitory, according to the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI).The auditor said the ministry consequently violated the National Finance Act because the government subsidy was used for other purposes.An inspection was launched at the request of the National Assembly, looking into the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Defense. The state auditor said the use of government subsidies in the construction of the school building also violated the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that states the government cannot form a financial basis to establish a priv
