By Chung Hyun-chae
The Ministry of Education has come under fire for attempting to take control of state-run universities by appointing political cronies as their presidents, which violates the schools' independence guaranteed by law.
Criticism has mounted as the ministry sent an official letter late last month, telling three public universities to submit new presidential candidates to the ministry.
The three universities are Kongju National University in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province; Kyungpook National University in Daegu; and Korea National Open University in Seoul.
Since the ministry rejected the presidential candidates that the three universities recommended last year, the top posts at the schools have remained vacant.
The ministry didn't explain the reasons why candidates submitted were deemed unqualified, saying it was a matter of privacy.
Han Seog-soo, deputy minister for the university policy office, told The Korea Times that evaluation criteria are also not open to the public.
"We consider almost all areas including criminal records, wealth and ethics when reviewing the candidates," Han said.
Staff and professors from the schools are, however, arguing that the ministry is attempting to select people who are aligned with government, something the ministry denies.
Professor Kim Hyun-gyu, a former candidate from Kongju University, filed a suit against the ministry to nullify its refusal, and the Seoul High Court ruled in favor of him in January.
The education ministry appealed to the Supreme Court.
Another failed candidate from Korea National Open University also filed a suit against the ministry and he also won the case, again prompting the ministry to appeal.
"It may be illegal to have another candidate as the case is still pending at the top court," professor Jeung Min-gull, chief of the faculty group at Kongju University, told The Korea Times.
"Given that the ministry has lost a series of cases, its rejection of the candidates is temporarily invalid.
"If we nominate a new candidate, there will be two candidates and it will create confusion," Jeung said.
If the Supreme Court rules against the education ministry, the latter will have to explain why it turned down the candidates from the three universities.
"We will decide whether to push ahead with the former candidate or have a new one after examining the reasons the ministry must provide," Jeung said.
The Ministry of Education has come under fire for attempting to take control of state-run universities by appointing political cronies as their presidents, which violates the schools' independence guaranteed by law.
Criticism has mounted as the ministry sent an official letter late last month, telling three public universities to submit new presidential candidates to the ministry.
The three universities are Kongju National University in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province; Kyungpook National University in Daegu; and Korea National Open University in Seoul.
Since the ministry rejected the presidential candidates that the three universities recommended last year, the top posts at the schools have remained vacant.
The ministry didn't explain the reasons why candidates submitted were deemed unqualified, saying it was a matter of privacy.
Han Seog-soo, deputy minister for the university policy office, told The Korea Times that evaluation criteria are also not open to the public.
"We consider almost all areas including criminal records, wealth and ethics when reviewing the candidates," Han said.
Staff and professors from the schools are, however, arguing that the ministry is attempting to select people who are aligned with government, something the ministry denies.
Professor Kim Hyun-gyu, a former candidate from Kongju University, filed a suit against the ministry to nullify its refusal, and the Seoul High Court ruled in favor of him in January.
The education ministry appealed to the Supreme Court.
Another failed candidate from Korea National Open University also filed a suit against the ministry and he also won the case, again prompting the ministry to appeal.
"It may be illegal to have another candidate as the case is still pending at the top court," professor Jeung Min-gull, chief of the faculty group at Kongju University, told The Korea Times.
"Given that the ministry has lost a series of cases, its rejection of the candidates is temporarily invalid.
"If we nominate a new candidate, there will be two candidates and it will create confusion," Jeung said.
If the Supreme Court rules against the education ministry, the latter will have to explain why it turned down the candidates from the three universities.
"We will decide whether to push ahead with the former candidate or have a new one after examining the reasons the ministry must provide," Jeung said.
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