The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Jo Hee-yeon expressed regret, saying, "I exercised my authority within the scope stipulated by the law."
Superintendent Cho issued a statement saying, "We have legally conducted a special recruitment for the 2018 school year through open screening."
In 2018, Superintendent Cho was the subject of the No. 1 investigation by the High Commissioner's Crime Investigation Office on charges of pre-appointing five teachers who had been dismissed, including those from the National Teachers and Staff Union, in 2018 and involved in illegally specializing them.
The 1st Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted Superintendent Cho without detention on the same charges on the same day, and former chief of staff Han Mo, who was in charge of the practical work, was also indicted as an accomplice.
Superintendent Cho said, "I believe that my innocence and the injustice of the prosecution's prosecution will be revealed during the trial process."
(Photo = provided by Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Yonhap News)