An audit of private kindergartens in Gwangju revealed significant financial misconduct, including the purchase of air conditioners for personal homes using kindergarten operating funds. The analysis by a citizen group indicated that in specific audits of 18 kindergartens last year, 45 issues related to budget misuse and regulatory violations were identified. Notably, a kindergarten principal purchased a 990,000 KRW air conditioner for their home and used operating funds for service subscriptions and gas expenses for vehicles that were not in operation, raising concerns about the integrity of financial management within these institutions.

The issues were highlighted during a review by the 'Citizen's Meeting for a Society Without Class Privilege,' which pointed to various irregularities such as the improper election of operating committee members, misuse of funds, and violations of the dual-employment ban among kindergarten administrators. These findings have stirred calls for increased oversight and education for kindergarten principals regarding proper financial practices. Despite recent legislation aiming to enhance accounting transparency in private kindergartens, such as the implementation of a national accounting system, these reports suggest that unethical practices persist.

The citizen group criticized the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education for excluding kindergarten principals from financial management training programs and called for mandatory integrity education for all private kindergarten principals. They stressed the need for better auditor staffing to uphold the public accountability and transparency of early childhood education in Gwangju. These findings could further push local authorities to tighten regulations and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that funds are utilized appropriately and to restore public trust in the education system.