A view of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education. [North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education]
A view of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education. [North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education]

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education said Monday it won the top prize in the provincial and metropolitan education office category at the Ministry of Education's "2026 First-Half Proactive Administration Best Practices Competition," extending its consecutive winning streak to 11 times.

The award-winning entry was submitted by Ha Ji-woo, an administrative officer in the office's planning and budget division, under the title "The Answer Is in the Data! Finding Budget Leaks Hidden in School Electricity Bills."

The entry addressed the growing fiscal strain on schools caused by rising public utility costs, identifying budget leakage by analyzing electricity billing data and implementing corrective measures.

The office used data analysis to detect overlooked electricity rate discounts, secured refunds, and put systems in place to prevent recurrence — steps it said helped plug leaks in the education budget.

"This top prize is the result of proactive administration that went beyond routine practice — carefully examining the difficulties schools face on the ground and resolving them preemptively, based on data," Superintendent Im Jong-sik said. "We will continue to pursue proactive administration that leaves no small inconvenience or problem unaddressed, so that the entire education community can feel real, tangible change."


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