Education Ministry takes direct action against anti-gov't teachers

SEOUL, July 9 (Yonhap) -- The education ministry filed legal complaints against
provincial public schoolteachers on Thursday for participating in an
anti-government campaign, taking rare direct action on regional affairs outside
of Seoul.
Tens of thousand of left-wing teachers of the Korean Teachers and Education
Workers Union had released a statement last month urging the conservative Lee
Myung-bak government to change its "authoritarian" stance and restore democracy,
citing a massive crackdown on anti-government rallies.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology immediately announced it would
push for the dismissal or suspension of 88 teachers who led the anti-government
campaign.
The ministry has asked regional education governing bodies to file complaints
against the participants in their jurisdiction, citing a law that prohibits
public workers from engaging in political activities.
But local education authorities delayed punitive action, saying they need time to
review the case and to ensure that the political neutrality demanded by the
education ministry did not infringe the right to free expression.
Local education offices are entitled to appoint or discipline teachers working in
their region.
"(Today's) complaint was filed directly on behalf of the ministry, as we do not
have enough time," a ministry official said. "It's just a legal action, (not a
punishment)."
An official from Gyeonggi provincial education body said that they were looking
into judicial precedents.
Police last week raided offices of the teachers' union, which claims over 90,000
members nationwide, and plans to summon leaders of the group.
The teachers' movement is part of an ongoing anti-government campaign by
academics and civic and religious groups here that was largely triggered by the
May 23 suicide death of former President Roh Moo-hyun. He and his family had been
under prosecution investigation on graft allegations which his supporters say was
politically motivated.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)