ID :
35782
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 18:46
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/35782
The shortlink copeid
Seoul education chief`s office raided in election funding scandal
SEOUL, Dec. 15 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors raided the office of the Seoul education chief on Monday, intensifying their ethics investigation into alleged illegal donations to his and his defeated rival's election campaign.
Investigators suspect interest groups largely financed candidates' campaigns in
the first-ever direct election for superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan
Office of Education in July. Concerns soon arose that education policy could be
influenced by such business interests.
Kong Jeong-taek, who won the election with promises to push through conservative
President Lee Myung-bak's competition-driven reforms, was suspected of drawing
1.8 billion won (US$1.3 million), or 80 percent of his campaign funding, through
donations from private institutes, school meal agencies and private school
owners.
Investigators confiscated computer hard disks and documents from Kong's office as
well as two offices of a leading private institute in Seoul suspected of funding
his campaign, prosecutors said.
Kong admitted to receiving the donations from school meal agencies and private
institutes, but denied that he offered business favors in exchange.
The donations were prompted by Kong's "personal relationships" with his campaign
contributors, his office said earlier.
Opposition parties are demanding Kong's resignation, saying he has already lost
people's trust by acknowledging the donations. Kong did not appear at a
parliamentary audit in October, citing high blood sugar levels.
Kong, 72, was reelected to his third term in the direct election, narrowly
beating Jou Kyong-bok, who campaigned on a platform of egalitarianism in the
school system.
Prosecutors are also looking into allegations that Jou accepted money from the
Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, an umbrella organization of
progressive teachers' unions.
The Seoul superintendent wields ultimate power in executing the city's annual
education budget of 6 trillion won, the approval of new schools and the
supervision of 55,000 teachers and school staffers from public kindergarten to
high school
Seoul introduced direct voting for the position this year following the lead of
several provincial cities to better reflect public opinion. The ethics scandal,
however, has raised doubts about the effect of direct voting.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
Investigators suspect interest groups largely financed candidates' campaigns in
the first-ever direct election for superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan
Office of Education in July. Concerns soon arose that education policy could be
influenced by such business interests.
Kong Jeong-taek, who won the election with promises to push through conservative
President Lee Myung-bak's competition-driven reforms, was suspected of drawing
1.8 billion won (US$1.3 million), or 80 percent of his campaign funding, through
donations from private institutes, school meal agencies and private school
owners.
Investigators confiscated computer hard disks and documents from Kong's office as
well as two offices of a leading private institute in Seoul suspected of funding
his campaign, prosecutors said.
Kong admitted to receiving the donations from school meal agencies and private
institutes, but denied that he offered business favors in exchange.
The donations were prompted by Kong's "personal relationships" with his campaign
contributors, his office said earlier.
Opposition parties are demanding Kong's resignation, saying he has already lost
people's trust by acknowledging the donations. Kong did not appear at a
parliamentary audit in October, citing high blood sugar levels.
Kong, 72, was reelected to his third term in the direct election, narrowly
beating Jou Kyong-bok, who campaigned on a platform of egalitarianism in the
school system.
Prosecutors are also looking into allegations that Jou accepted money from the
Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, an umbrella organization of
progressive teachers' unions.
The Seoul superintendent wields ultimate power in executing the city's annual
education budget of 6 trillion won, the approval of new schools and the
supervision of 55,000 teachers and school staffers from public kindergarten to
high school
Seoul introduced direct voting for the position this year following the lead of
several provincial cities to better reflect public opinion. The ethics scandal,
however, has raised doubts about the effect of direct voting.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
