Corruption scandal fuels debates over education chief election system

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Yonhap) -- Rival parties on Tuesday offered differing views on how to improve the current system of picking local education chiefs through a popular vote, as calls mounted for an overhaul of the costly system amid a widening corruption scandal involving Seoul's education chief.
The move comes as prosecutors are widening their probe into liberal Seoul education chief Kwak No-hyun over allegations that he gave money to his rival in return for his withdrawal from the June 2010 local elections. Kwak admitted to have given 200 million won (US$184,000) to Park Myoung-gee, a professor at Seoul National University of Education, earlier this year, but denied allegations it was a reward for Park's agreement to quit the race.



It is not the first time an education chief picked through a vote was embroiled in a corruption probe in connection with costly election campaigns. Kwak's scandal-ridden predecessor, Kong Jeong-taek, was removed from office in 2008 for a bribery conviction.
On Tuesday, reform-minded lawmakers of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) agreed to submit a bill to abolish the direct election system for local education chiefs to allow government chiefs to appoint them with approval from local councils, officials said.
Adopted in 2006, the election system has been under attack as it has been plagued with overheating campaigns that cost up to several billions of won in big cities like Seoul.
However, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) opposed politically affiliated local chiefs' appointments of superintendents, citing the law that obliges public officials and teachers to stay politically neutral.
"Although the direct election system has problems, education should not be politicized," DP lawmaker Byun Jae-il said. "People will not accept teachers and education chiefs joining a party and participating in political events."
As a way to preserve the election system while minimizing discordance between government officials and the education chief over the city education budget and policies, some lawmakers suggested a running mate system that ties local government and education chief candidates in a joint camp during the election. A related bill is currently pending in the National Assembly for parliamentary approval.
Education minister Lee Joo-ho also backed the running mate proposal as a moderate way to complement the direct election system.
"There would be questions if the running mate system could secure neutrality, but it could gradually complement the direct election system," Lee said in a meeting with reporters. "(The GNP) is showing interest and the government has already been pushing toward that direction."