▲ Cho Hee-yeon (C), superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, exits the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on Jan. 27, 2023, after being sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison, suspended for two years, for his reinstatement of dismissed teachers. (Yonhap)

Seoul education chief-appeal

Disgraced Seoul education chief appeals abuse of power conviction

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's top education official on Monday appealed his recent conviction related to the 2018 reinstatement of dismissed teachers.

Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, was sentenced last Friday by the Seoul Central District Court to 1 1/2 years in prison, suspended for two years, for abusing his power in reinstating five dismissed teachers, including former members of a teachers' labor union, in 2018.

Cho, who was elected as Seoul's education chief for a third time last year, will lose his job if his conviction is confirmed by the higher court. By law, an education official with a confirmed conviction of imprisonment is subject to retirement.

Cho lodged the appeal with the appellate division of the same court through his lawyers, saying he will continue to faithfully perform his duties regardless of the court ruling.

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