Park Ji-hyang, chairman of the Northeast Asian History Foundation, plans to file a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials against Choi Kyo-jin, Minister of Education, on charges of abuse of authority. The reason is that the Ministry of Education demanded the convening of a board meeting to dismiss Chairman Park while specifying the exact date and location. The foundation’s side argues that, according to its articles of incorporation, while the Ministry of Education can request the convening of a board meeting, it is the chairman’s authority to determine the date and location.
The Ministry of Education suspended Chairman Park’s duties last month and initiated dismissal procedures, citing allegations of embezzlement in the course of business. However, after the court accepted Chairman Park’s application for a provisional injunction against the Ministry of Education on August 21, he has since returned to his duties. Nevertheless, as the Ministry of Education immediately appealed the court’s ruling and continued to push for his dismissal, the conflict has escalated. Chairman Park, appointed by the previous administration, has less than four months remaining in his term.
According to Chairman Park’s side on the 31st, Article 18, Clause 2 of the Northeast Asian History Foundation’s articles of incorporation stipulates that the foundation’s chairman must convene a board meeting if requested by the Minister of Education. Clause 3 further states that when the chairman convenes a board meeting, he must notify the directors of the date and location five days prior to the meeting. Based on this provision, Chairman Park’s side argues that since the authority to determine the date and location of the board meeting lies with the chairman, the Minister of Education’s specification of these details constitutes an abuse of authority. The Ministry of Education sent five official letters to the foundation from July 29 to August 28, each specifying the date and location (such as the Seoul Government Complex).
A source from the Ministry of Education stated, “Since the chairman must convene a board meeting upon the Minister of Education’s request, it is only natural for the minister to specify the date and location.”
Chairman Park’s side fundamentally argues that there are issues with the Ministry of Education’s suspension order and dismissal request. According to the Public Institution Operation Act, public institution executives can be dismissed if necessary based on investigations or audit results from law enforcement agencies. However, the police investigation results regarding Chairman Park have not yet been released. Despite this, they claim it is problematic for the Ministry of Education to continue pushing for his dismissal.
The Ministry of Education cites as grounds for dismissal Chairman Park’s alleged use of funds from other budgets while conducting field trips to Ulleungdo and Dokdo and hosting history forums.
In a regular briefing that day, the Ministry of Education stated, “The court’s ruling did not cancel the suspension of Chairman Park’s duties but only temporarily allowed him to maintain his position until the first trial verdict. This does not affect the board’s dismissal procedures.” They added, “The push for dismissal is based on the judgment that it is inappropriate for Chairman Park to continue serving as the chairman of a public institution.”
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