The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Prosecutors widen probe into school admissions

By Korea Herald

Published : May 31, 2013 - 20:41

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Prosecutors are investigating another international middle school in Seoul as part of an admissions fraud scandal involving a number of teachers and parents.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office announced on Friday that several teachers and faculty from the Daewon International Middle School were under its investigation.

They are suspected of receiving money from parents in exchange for admitting unqualified students, according to the prosecutors.

The Seoul Council for Education, the umbrella body of the union for teachers and parents and civic groups, has filed a complaint with the prosecution.

They claim the international middle school in eastern Seoul admitted more than 100 unqualified students since its foundation in 2009.

The investigation came after Lee Jay-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, apologized Thursday for his son’s controversial admission to Younghoon International Middle School in Seoul.

Prosecutors raided on Wednesday 16 places related to the Younghoon school foundation including the chairman’s home, offices and other affiliated primary and secondary schools.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced earlier after a month-long special audit into the two international schools that they found a number of illegalities associated with admissions and school operation.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)