hankyoreh

the president of Korea National University of Art announces his resignation in the university’s auditorium located in the Seokkwan neighborhood of Seoul

Hwang Ji-woo, 56 years old, the president of Korea National University of Art (KNUA) announced his resignation Tuesday. In a press conference held in the auditorium of KNUA in Seoul, he said, “The KNUA had been the subject of an unprecedented ‘storming audit’ from ten officials of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s audit department from March 18 to May 1. I have decided to resign my position because this audit has been a political audit.” Following the press conference, President Hwang went deliver his letter of resignation to Culture Minister Yoo In-chon.

On Monday, the Culture Ministry began its pursuit of a stiff punishment for Hwang, such as a dismissal or disciplinary dismissal, from the Education, Science and Technology Ministry which has the authority to appoint and dismiss the president of KNUA.

President Hwang said, “It has become conspicuous that the final target of the storming audit was a president’s resignation. Instead of becoming a vegetable president, I have decided to resign in order to reduce the pressure to KNUA from the government.”

The Culture Ministry says that according to the audit’s results, heavy punishment for Hwang was inevitable because there were serious problems such as misappropriating public funds, and a deterioration of education services. However, people working in the culture sector are calling this a revival of evictions of progressive personnel. Since Lee administration’s inauguration, Kim Jeong-heon, the president of Arts Council Korea and Kim Yoon-su, the president of National Museum of Contemporary Art have been evicted. Hwang had been pointed to as the next one in line to be evicted.

In response to a question if pressure for his resignation had been applied prior to the audit Hwang answered, “In early March, Park Tae-soon, head of the Arts Bureau in the Culture Ministry, asked me whether I wanted to keep the position of president or not. I considered that question a way of intimating my resignation was inevitable.”

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]