Government legislation ministry says military academy professor posts count as education careers

The government legislation ministry said Thursday that service as a military professor at a military academy counts toward the education career required of candidates for local education superintendent.

The ruling, issued through the ministry's legal interpretation process, resolves a question raised by the education ministry over whether time spent as a 군교수 under the Military Professor Personnel Management Directive qualifies under the Local Education Autonomy Act.

The ministry reasoned that the army, navy and air force academies are established under a separate law that treats them as four-year universities whose graduates receive bachelor's degrees, placing them in the same category as schools under the Higher Education Act. Military professors, it said, are appointed as professors, associate professors or assistant professors after meeting qualifications set out in that act, and teach general studies courses and master's programs.

The ministry also cited the purpose of the education career requirement, saying it exists to ensure that someone with expertise and experience in education oversees education administration. It referenced a 2009 Constitutional Court decision in reaching its conclusion.