Jeonnam Gwangju Office of Education faces preferential contract allegations

Allegations of preferential treatment have surfaced regarding the Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City Office of Education and its affiliated institutions. The Citizens' Group for a Society Without Academic Sectarianism reported that multiple branches, including the main office, eight education support offices, and five direct agencies, have repeatedly entered into private contracts with a single company to purchase negative pressure toilet systems designed to reduce odors.

Data obtained through information disclosure requests shows that 388 units have been purchased from the specific company, totaling approximately 152.57 million KRW. This figure does not include purchases made by individual schools, suggesting the actual scale of contracts may be larger.

The civic group is questioning why various independent agencies consistently selected the same provider through private contracts without apparent competitive bidding. They are calling for an investigation into whether the main office recommended the product to subordinate agencies and whether external individuals engaged in improper promotional activities to influence budget allocation.

The Office of Education responded by stating that each agency conducts its purchases individually based on its own needs, but acknowledged the allegations and stated they would investigate the circumstances.