Busan Education Superintendent Kim Seok-jun acquitted in appeals court

Kim Seok-jun, the Superintendent of Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, has been acquitted in a second trial regarding allegations of abuse of power. The charges stemmed from the 2018 special recruitment of four teachers who had been dismissed following a controversy involving the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) ‘Unification School’ incident.

While a first-instance court had previously sentenced Kim to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension, the Busan District Court overturned this decision. The appellate court ruled that the recruitment process was legitimate, noting that the teachers were not individuals who should be barred from reinstatement and that the recruitment aimed to provide a necessary opportunity for their return before legal deadlines expired.

The court also criticized the investigation and prosecution process, suggesting that the indictment was based on distorted facts resulting from an excessive audit. The judges noted that the recruitment followed legal advice and personnel committee procedures, and that Kim did not coerce officials into illegal actions. Kim expressed gratitude to the court for the ruling based on the substantive truth.