Kim Seung-won, Minister of Justice candidate, on-site guidance to family-run welfare facilities and education support offices

It was confirmed that the competent education support office provided on-site guidance to welfare facilities where controversy arose over the payment of benefits to the spouse and children of Minister of Justice candidate Kim Seung-won.

According to the Yonhap News coverage on the 7th, the Suwon Office of Education's Lifelong Education and Health Department visited the Developmentally Disabled Care Center (online name 'A School') located at Dongnam Health College in Jangan-gu, Suwon on this day to check the operational status.

This center is operated by the 'Korea Child Development Social Cooperative', and Candidate Kim's spouse serves as the center director. In addition, Candidate Kim's eldest son, who majored in occupational therapy, and his second daughter, who graduated from the Department of Health and Childcare, are working as full-time and part-time employees, respectively.

In its on-site guidance, the Suwon Office of Education pointed out that the name 'A School' was arbitrarily used in online cafes and blogs operated by the center and instructed the center to correct this within a week.

However, it was confirmed that the name ‘school’ was not used for the center building.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act stipulates that anyone wishing to establish a private school must obtain approval from the Superintendent of Education, and anyone who violates this is subject to imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

In the on-site guidance, the center is said to have responded, “We will correct it.”

In addition, the Suwon Office of Education confirmed that the center was reported as an alternative education institution in accordance with the Gyeonggi-do Alternative Education Institutions Support Ordinance and that it was a facility approved for establishment as a social cooperative by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The Suwon Office of Education determined through an on-site investigation that day that this center did not conduct actual classes like a school, but plans to further review this in detail.

Ahead of the confirmation hearing for the Minister of Justice candidate, controversy is rising in the political world surrounding candidate Kim's suspicion of solicitation related to the approval of clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment and the employment of his children at the welfare facility where his spouse works.

In relation to this, Candidate Kim met with reporters on his way to the office in preparation for the personnel hearing this morning and directly refuted the controversy, saying, "(Family members) performed actual care work."

He said, “The People Power Party is misleading us into thinking that our in-laws are running the center like a family business, but it is not easy to recruit school teachers and caregivers for developmental disabilities. This is a place where truly dedicated people come and work, and I hope they do not distort or criticize such a place.”