The Gwangju Education Office is applying a 'zero tolerance' policy to the misuse or unauthorized disposal of school property, while strengthening management and oversight.
Following an investigation into incidents of staff misusing school property and unauthorized sales through second-hand transactions in June, the education office confirmed misconduct and has taken disciplinary action against those involved.
In light of this situation, the education office plans to reassess the management of public property and enhance preventive measures and audit functions to avoid similar cases in the future.
Special training will be conducted across all institutions to prevent the personal misuse of public property and to avoid conflicts of interest. Future audits will also include assessments of the appropriateness of public property management as a mandatory item.
If any individual is found to be using public property for personal purposes or gaining private benefits from it, they will be held strictly accountable under the zero tolerance policy.
The education office aims to strengthen the management and oversight system, not just by identifying and penalizing misconduct, but also by examining potential gaps in the management process from acquisition to storage, use, and disposal of property.
Since public property is not privately owned, the education office expects that these measures will enhance the sense of responsibility among members of schools and educational institutions regarding the management of public property.
Kim Dae-jung, the superintendent, stated, "The integrity and public nature of the education field are values that cannot be compromised for any reason. We will thoroughly address the weaknesses in the public property management system and strengthen on-site inspections to fundamentally improve our practices and prevent similar incidents from occurring again."
Meanwhile, the Gwangju Education Office plans to continuously monitor the management of public property in schools and institutions, conducting audits and preventive training to enhance transparency and accountability in the management of public assets.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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