Far-right group's ties to South Korea's after-school program sparks outrage
Instructors allegedly rewarded for online attacks on liberals, praise for conservatives
A far-right educational group's involvement in South Korea's government-led after-school program for elementary students has triggered controversy, with parents voicing alarm over the infiltration of ideological bias into classrooms.
The controversy started with a local investigative news outlet reporting that a far-right organization called Rhee Park School — known for glorifying former authoritarian presidents Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee — has not only conducted online manipulation campaigns under a team named "Jasongun" but also dispatched instructors to Neulbom schools, a state-run extended-day elementary education program. Jasongun is the abbreviation of a Korean phrase meaning "freedom finger army to save the nation' (direct translation).
The report alleged that Rhee Park School trained and dispatched instructors to Neulbom schools in Seoul using an internally issued instructor certificate. These instructors were said to be selected in return for participating in online smear campaigns targeting liberal politicians, including presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung and Lee Jun-seok, while promoting right-wing figures such as Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party.
Outrage has mounted among parents, especially after it was revealed that the institution had secured a partnership with the Korea Association for Neulbom Education and Seoul National University of Education. According to the Education Ministry, the agreement allowed the group to supply instructors for science and art-based Neulbom programs at 10 elementary schools in the capital.
The Education Ministry announced a full investigation into any links between the far-right institution and the national Neulbom system.
'Given the public reaction and severity of the issue, we have instructed the immediate suspension of related programs and the cancellation of the agreement with the organization,' said the SNUE Neulbom Education Support Center.
Rhee Park School was founded in 2017 by Son Hyo-sook, a retired civil servant with no prior educational credentials. Son's recent appointment as an education policy adviser to the Education Minister has drawn further scrutiny, with critics questioning how she gained a high-level policy advisory role without a professional background in education.
The controversy has renewed criticism of the Neulbom system, a key education policy initiative of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Initially branded as an 'all-day elementary school,' the program aims to merge after-school classes and care services under state responsibility.
The Education Ministry said Monday it has launched a full-scale investigation into the matter and dismissed the head of the far-right group from her role as a policy adviser the day prior.
'Given the sensitivity of the allegations, she was dismissed immediately,' ministry spokesperson Koo Yeon-hee stated during a press briefing. 'Son did not play a prominent role on the committee and only attended a recent workshop.'
Koo explained that the committee consists of 124 advisers from various ideological backgrounds and functions in a consultative capacity. 'Since it is a purely advisory body, we did not screen appointees for political neutrality at the time of selection,' she said.
Although Son's term was originally set to end on June 12, Koo added that the ministry would consider reviewing the status of other advisers. 'We will ask the relevant departments to look into whether there are any issues with other committee members and whether further investigation is possible,' she said.
While the Education Ministry stated that private certifications like the one issued by Rhee Park School do not guarantee employment in schools, and that hiring decisions are made independently by each institution, it acknowledged the need for a system-wide review. The ministry pledged to audit all currently operating Neulbom programs to assess any connection to the institution.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Broadcasters pull out all stops for election results coverage
Broadcasters vie for viewership, with high-profile panelists, dynamic visuals and proprietary voting prediction systems South Korea's major broadcasters went all-out for their live coverage of the June 3 presidential election, delivering eight-hour marathon programming that combined high-profile panel discussions and broadcasts with state-of-the-art generative AI. Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, which led the viewership rating during April's general election, returned with an impressive setup for "Election 2025." The network unveiled the largest LED screen ever used in Korean election broadcasting for displaying election results, expanding from a four-panel display to a six-panel display. Ceiling-mounted wire cameras provided sweeping shots of the studio for dynamic footage. 'Debate M,' a segment of the MBC's election coverage, featured a lineup of prominent figures including author Yoo Si-min, former Korea Economic Daily editor-in-chief Chung Kyoo-jae, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Joo-min and People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae. The panel discussed election dynamics and offered insights into the country's political future. Seoul Broadcasting System has stood out in past elections with its eye-popping graphics that heavily reference popular culture. This year, it leaned into spectacle with a 'Squid Game'-inspired segment in its election coverage program, "2025 People's Vote" (translated). Computer-generated presidential candidates, wearing tracksuits reminiscent of those in "Squid Game," were shown competing in traditional Korean games to depict the race to win the election. SBS also debuted Korea's first extended reality live talk show as part of its election coverage. The segment, titled 'Sseoltongryeong,' changed the filming studio into a fully rendered 3D environment that transported talk show guests to digitally recreated locations such as the National Assembly and the presidential office. Guests on the talk show included younger voices such as YouTuber Oh Chang-seok, host of YouTube political satire-comedy channel "President Namcheon-dong"; Park Sung-min, a former youth secretary at the Blue House; and Park Min-young, a People Power Party spokesperson. Korean Broadcasting System turned to generative AI for its coverage titled "Vote That Changes My Life" (translated) -- a first for the national broadcaster. Images depicting cities that were hotbeds of democratization movements and industrial landmarks served as a backdrop to the broadcast announcing the election results, with the network also operating from a dedicated studio for panel talks at the 'K-Cube,' located in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. KBS' analysis segment assembled a diverse panel of politicians and political pundits including Democratic Party members Lee So-young and Kim Sang-wook, People Power Party's Kim Jae-seop, Reform Party's Chun Ha-ram and former JoongAng Ilbo editorial writer Kim Jin. According to Lee Min-young, head of KBS' Election Broadcast Planning Team, this year's coverage took on a more grounded tone. "Given that this election follows a presidential impeachment, we prioritized the public's call for democracy and a sense of returning to normalcy over celebration,' she said via KBS' press coverage of its election broadcast. Each broadcaster also highlighted its proprietary vote prediction system. MBC utilized its own prediction system which integrated exit polls, historical data and live vote counts to forecast results, while SBS deployed 'Yoo-Hwak-Dang,' combining early exit polling with ongoing vote updates to calculate winning probabilities. Meanwhile, KBS used 'Decision K+,' a system that tracked candidate performance in real-time and categorized their chances of victory as 'likely,' 'certain,' or 'elected.'
Korea Herald
17 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Encouraging vote: from celebrities to fans
Celebrities encourage voting, while fans add a little fun with 'voting certification paper' On Tuesday, celebrities took to social media to show proof of voting and to encourage others to do the same. Fans also created their own rituals around voting, turning participation into a kind of communal activity or a campaign. While many stars posted selfies and photos from polling stations, actors and musicians were careful not to reveal numbers or colors associated with particular political parties in their photos as expressing political preferences is often considered taboo for Korean celebrities. Ateez members Seonghwa and Hongjoong cast their votes on Tuesday and shared a selfie on social media. Both were dressed in neutral-toned outfits. Actor Yoon Eun-Hye also posted a photo taken in front of the voting station on Tuesday, wearing a brown hat and ivory top. J-Hope of BTS and IU, who had participated in early voting, had earlier posted selfies wearing all-black outfits, including their hats. The five Korean members of rookie boy band KickFlip, who also took part in early voting together, posted a photo of their hands with vote stamps. Singer Lee Chae-yeon, who couldn't remove her blue wrist brace — a color strongly associated with the Democratic Party of Korea — held red cherry tomatoes in the other hand to "neutralize" the photo with red, the color of the People Power Party. Some celebrities encouraged voting more directly, by sending messages via fan communication platforms. Actor Lee Dong-wook sent a message via fan communication platform Bubble on Sunday and said that he had participated in early voting. He went on to urge fans to vote, saying, 'To those who say there's no one worth voting for, I always say this: Voting is about preventing the worst. If you can't choose the best, go for the second best. If there's no second best, choose the lesser evil to stop the worst.' Haewon of Nmixx also appeared on Bubble saying, "I've participated in early voting. Let's all vote together." Fans add element of fun While celebrities called for their fans to exercise one's right to vote, fans combined voting and their affection for their stars by creating 'voting certification papers.' Voters in Korea often stamp the back of their hands as proof of having voted. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic gloves became mandatory at polling stations, making it difficult to stamp hands. This led to the rise of creative alternatives like voting certification papers, which seem to be here to stay. These papers are themed templates that fans either design themselves or download from free sources. Typically, the design features a vacant space such as a character's face or a speech bubble, where voters can place their vote stamp and then share the image on social media. Fans design and distribute these templates online, often incorporating K-pop lightsticks, group logos or even the Korean flag. One BTS fan created and shared a design combining the Army Bomb, the group's lightstick, and the Taegeukgi, the Korean flag. Groups such as Ateez, xikers and Billlie even shared voting certification paper templates via their official accounts on social platform X, featuring their logos or mascots. This trend isn't limited to the K-pop scene; it has expanded to include professional sports leagues such as baseball and soccer, as well as popular character designs from emoji and sticker artists. Even without a custom voting paper, fans have found other creative ways to include their favorite stars in the voting process, such as stamping directly onto a K-pop idol's photocard and sharing the image online. Stamping and posting a picture of a personal item like a custom paper or photocard is not in violation of the law. However, the photo must be taken outside the polling booth. According to the National Election Commission, photographing a ballot inside the booth can result in up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to 4 million won ($2,900).
Korea Herald
18 hours ago
- Korea Herald
'The Pact' taps former first lady's controversies for box office surprise
Political thriller outperforms Hollywood blockbuster despite limited release On the eve of South Korea's presidential election, an unlikely contender has made waves at the box office. "The Pact" — a darkly provocative occult thriller — claimed second place in nationwide ticket sales Monday, an unexpected showing for a low-budget production with a partisan political agenda. According to the Korean Film Council's latest box office data, "The Pact" drew 60,140 viewers on its opening day Monday, narrowly edging out $400 million Hollywood juggernaut "Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning" (59,953 admissions) and trailing only the homegrown comedy "Hi-Five" (75,614 admissions). These numbers were despite the film's relatively limited theatrical release: Just 1,296 screenings on 536 screens nationwide, roughly a third of its competitors. "The Pact" follows an ambitious woman named Ji-hee (Kim Gyu-ri) who climbs the social ladder through plastic surgery, identity fraud and dark rituals to eventually set her sights on controlling the entire country. Whether directly stated or not, audiences swiftly made the connection to Kim Keon Hee, the wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose impeachment following his shock Dec. 3 martial law declaration led to Tuesday's snap presidential election. Allegations of the couple's involvement with shamanistic practices have dogged them since the earliest days of Yoon's political ascent — from the Chinese character for "king" mysteriously appearing on Yoon's palm during televised debates to their controversial decision to abandon the Blue House in Seoul for a new presidential office about 6 kilometers south. Suspicions swriled throughout Yoon's tenure that spiritual advisers introduced by the first lady were pulling strings behind the scenes in major policy decisions. The film's Korean title, "Shinmyung," is the most glaring reference: It's Kim's given birth name (Myung-shin) backwards. The former first lady legally changed her name to Keon Hee in 2008. The nature of the production also points to the work's political intent. The film was bankrolled by progressive YouTube channel Openmind TV, which has faced multiple defamation lawsuits from public figures, and lost on one occasion. While producers claim their story draws from verified investigative reporting, the clearly fictionalized story frequently veers into unsubstantiated territory, depicting graphic shamanistic rituals taking place in the presidential office — scenarios for which no concrete evidence exists. "The Pact" is not the first purported expose on the former first lady to hit theaters. In December last year, documentary "The First Lady," exploring corruption allegations surrounding Kim, sold 84,888 tickets in its theatrical run — an impressive figure for low-budget independent cinema.
