Kang issues special directive following provincial assembly audit findings
Gangwon Province Superintendent of Education Kang Sam-young has launched another anti-corruption drive. Having already established a direct-reporting system for integrity violations and introduced a school safety support officer program to address school violence and protect teachers' rights, Kang has now ordered a comprehensive investigation to root out and prevent contract irregularities at agencies under the office's supervision.
Kang issued a special directive Monday calling for a thorough review of key findings raised during the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Assembly's administrative audit, and demanding effective corrective measures.
In response to concerns over contracts with specific vendors at the Education Science Information Institute and other affiliated agencies, Kang ordered an immediate, high-intensity investigation covering all contracts over the past five years across the provincial education office, its directly affiliated institutions, district education support offices and schools at all levels.
The Gangwon Office of Education said it plans to examine the legal basis for each discretionary contract, the vendor selection process, the appropriateness of contract amounts and prices, whether goods and services were actually delivered, and how those goods and services were used for educational purposes.
Officials will also secure all relevant records — including contracts, cost estimates, and inspection and settlement documents. Any illegal, improper or inappropriate findings will be referred for audit and other necessary action, with measures put in place to prevent recurrence.
The office said it will not stop at drawing up an action plan but will continue monitoring implementation until improvements at the actual sites are complete.
"We take the assembly's findings seriously," Kang said. "We will correct any allegations through a thorough verification of the facts, and responsibly address areas that need improvement." Kang added that the office would rule out simple explanations or one-off measures, directing staff to prioritize restoring trust at the school level and respond with full force.
Meanwhile, the office said it will notify affiliated agencies and schools of new rules on single-vendor discretionary contracts — including caps on the number and total value of such contracts — following a revision to the Ministry of Interior and Safety's local government bidding and contract execution guidelines that took effect Friday. The office said it will focus on ensuring transparency and fairness in contracting to prevent unjustified preferential treatment, undue concentration of awards or arbitrary exclusion of vendors.
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