Busan Superintendent of Education Kim Seok-jun has filed an appeal after receiving a suspended prison sentence in a case involving the special hiring of dismissed teachers affiliated with the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers Union (KTU), a ruling that could cost him his position.
Kim submitted an appeal to the court on Sunday, stating that "there is a significant error in the first trial verdict, which judged guilt based solely on the outcome despite there being no defects in the procedures and processes."
"The special hiring was conducted lawfully through procedures and processes prescribed by law, and was not preferential hiring," Kim said. "The officials involved in the hiring process, including supervisors, section chiefs, and bureau directors, all appeared as witnesses at trial and testified that 'the process was conducted as an open selection under fair examination management' and that 'they did not do anything beyond their duties.'"
Kim added that "the first trial court focused only on the fact that there were just four applicants after the special hiring announcement and that all of them passed." He said, "This case is entirely different in its facts from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's special hiring case, and I will restore the honor of the Busan education community through the appeal."
Kim was indicted on charges of ordering the special hiring of teachers dismissed in connection with the so-called "unification school incident" at the request of the KTU in 2018. He was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension in the first trial. Under current law, a superintendent of education loses their position if a sentence of imprisonment or higher is finalized.
