It was found that 126 teachers were disciplined recently for item transactions with private education companies.
According to data for the National Assembly inspection received by Kim Moon-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea from the Ministry of Education on the 6th, a total of 126 teachers were disciplined for item transactions from last year through March this year.
Of these, heavy discipline accounted for 18 people, or 14.3% of the total. They included three dismissals, one demotion and 14 suspensions. The remaining 108 received light discipline, including 86 pay cuts and 22 reprimands.
By region, Seoul had the most with 79. It was followed by Gyeonggi with 37, Daegu with 5, Daejeon with 2, Gwangju with 2 and Incheon with 1. With related actions pending, the number of disciplined teachers is expected to rise.
Earlier, according to the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit report "Status of duties related to participation in the private education market by teachers, etc.," which dealt with the private education cartel in Feb. last year, 249 teachers earned an average of 84 million won per person over about six years from 2018 to June 2023 through item transactions with private education companies.
It is said the transactions proceeded as private education companies obtained the list of EBS textbook authors or contacted teachers through personal connections and school ties. After the Board of Audit and Inspection's findings were released, city and provincial education offices took follow-up measures such as discipline against teachers notified of misconduct.
Meanwhile, teachers who produced and sold College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) preparation items to "No. 1 star instructor" Hyun Woo-jin and received money were recently acquitted in court. The reason was that it fell under a "private transaction."
On the 26th of last month, Lee Jae-uk, a senior judge in the Criminal Division 10 of the Seoul Central District Court, acquitted two incumbent teachers indicted on charges of violating the anti-graft law, saying, "The consideration the defendants exchanged corresponds to the production of the items and constitutes the performance of an obligation arising from a private transaction." The court added, "It does not constitute money or valuables prohibited under Article 8(1) of the anti-graft law."
Article 8(1) of the anti-graft law prohibits public officials and teaching staff from receiving more than 1 million won at a time or more than 3 million won in a year from the same person, regardless of job relevance. However, Article 8(3)3 provides an exception for money or valuables offered under a "legitimate title," such as repaying a debt incurred from a private transaction.