By Na Jeong-ju
The state auditor is probing the Seoul Institute of the Art, one of the leading art schools in the country, over allegations that it spent billions of won to buy a luxurious apartment for the residence of its president Yoo Duk-hyung.
Yoo is also under investigation for bypassing rules to hire his son and son-in-law as professors, officials and the school’s student council said Tuesday.
The school said the purchase and the hiring were not illegal, but criticism is mounting among students and alumni that the president abused his authority and used school funds for private purposes.
The case is drawing particular attention amid calls to cut college tuition fees.
The education ministry has also cut subsidies to poorly-managed, underperforming schools as part of its college restructuring plan.
According to reports, the art school recently bought a 2.7 billion-won ($1.99 million) apartment in the affluent district of Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, to use it as the president’s residence.
It also spent tens of millions of won additionally to buy imported furniture, decorate rooms and fix the apartment.
The spending on the apartment is roughly 10 percent of annual tuition from students.
The Board of Audit and Inspection said it will release the result of its probe into the deal and the hiring of professors in a few weeks. An education ministry official said it will decide on whether to take disciplinary measures against the school after getting the result.
School officials said the purchase was President Yoo’s idea. Yoo is the oldest son of the late founder Yoo Chi-jin, a renowned playwriter.
“He wanted to use the apartment for receptions for foreign guests,” an official said.