Kong, 74, was reelected in July in the first-ever popular election for the position in a race widely seen as a referendum on President Lee Myung-bak's educational reform drive.

For the conservative education chief, the latest revelation that his funding involved private school meal services has delivered the biggest blow to Kong's credibility as it comes amid growing skepticism of food safety standards.

"For this allegation alone, he is unqualified to be the superintendent of Seoul," said Rep. Ahn Min-suck of the main opposition Democratic Party, adding Kong should "voluntarily step down."

The Seoul education office acknowledged that three private school meal agencies provided 1 million (US$830) each for Kong's campaign, but denied any possibility of business favors as the donations were made under the name of the agencies' heads and not the agencies themselves.

Critics, however, suspect strong business motives behind the funding, noting that unlike his provincial counterparts Kong has been reluctant to encourage schools to quit private services and directly manage their own meal programs.

All schools have to convert to direct meal provision by 2010 under a law legislated in the wake of a mass food poisoning scare in 2006, when 3,000 students in 46 schools fell ill after eating meals supplied by the private agency CJ Group.

According to government data, only 52.9 percent of primary and secondary schools in Seoul directly provides student meals, while the average for the rest of the country is 88.4 percent.

Parents and students have called for increased scrutiny on school meal programs following the lifting of a ban on U.S. beef imports and a recent Chinese food scandal involving dairy products tainted with the industrial toxin melamine.

Prosecutors are investigating Kong's election funding, up to 80 percent of which is assumed to have come from dubious sources. His major benefactors include Hana Bank CEO Kim Seung-yu, who is pushing to set up a private high school in a redevelopment area north of Seoul.

The Seoul superintendent wields ultimate power in executing the city's annual education budget of 6 trillion won, the approval of new schools and the supervision of 55,000 teachers and school staffers from public kindergarten to high schools.

(Yonhap)

This project marks the first time in the history of military housing that private sector developers, builders, managers, and capital providers will have the opportunity to create a first-class residential community on an Army post in a foreign land. Under the proposed plan, HFC will develop, design, finance, build and operate approximately 2,400 homes on two parcels, as well as own and manage the homes for 50 years. The homes will be within a planned community environment that will include a mixture of low-, mid- and high-rise residential buildings, parks, athletic fields, community facilities, retail outlets, and subterranean parking to optimize open space.

The availability of this housing will enable the Army to meet its commitments with the Republic of Korea to relocate U.S. forces from USAG Yongsan, Seoul and several other installations north of Seoul to USAG Humphreys. Military families will begin their move to USAG Humphreys in 2012. HFC's construction schedule will accommodate arriving military families who can rent an apartment or townhouse unit for their Overseas Housing Allowance.

Assistant Secretary of the Army Keith Eastin said, "I am very happy with the financial competitiveness, innovative design and exceptional quality of HFC's proposal. The Army is on a tight relocation schedule and traditional military construction of this housing was not a viable option. We needed a solution that could get this housing built, meet our relocation obligation and provide Soldiers and their families a high quality standard of living. I was very pleased with the private sector's enthusiastic response and the quality of the proposals we received. HFC's proposal is first rate and I can't wait to see this residential community built."

"Our team is incredibly honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense to create a new global standard for military family housing for our armed forces," said M. Scott Orrantia, Managing Director, Pinnacle Development. "At USAG Humphreys, we want to create a comfortable home away from home for our soldiers and their families that will make their tour in Korea a truly memorable and enjoyable experience."

Financing for the $1.3 billion project is being underwritten and managed by Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, and Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, a financial team that Orrantia called a "winning triumvirate of financial institutions necessary to ensure success in today's uncertain and volatile capital markets."

World-renowned architecture and planning firms, S.A.M.O.O. and Heerim, both of Seoul, and the award-winning MVE & Partners of Irvine, Calif. will provide the design and site planning for the project. Samsung will be the design-builder, and Harper-Hanmi Parsons will be the construction manager. Harper-HanmiParsons is a project alliance formed between Harper Construction Company, Inc., San Diego, Calif., and HanmiParsons Co., Ltd., Seoul. Pinnacle, an American Management Services Company, of Seattle, Wash., will provide facilities management, maintenance and resident services.

    About Pinnacle
    For more information, visit http://www.pinnacle-development.net and
    http://www.pinnacleAMS.com.

    About Samsung
    For more information, visit http://www.samsungcorp.com.

    About Hunt
    For more information, visit http://www.huntcompanies.com.

SOURCE Pinnacle Development

http://www.pinnacle-development.net

Out of 14 voting members, 10 voted for and one against. There were two no-shows and one abstention.

The board had convened to study the proposal by the Seoul education office Thursday evening but could not put it to a vote until early Friday, reflecting the heated controversy over the issue.

The board's own members were unable to narrow their differences.

The proposal was submitted two weeks ago, but the board had delayed the review due to loopholes in the system.

The two approved schools are expected to open in March, when the new academic year begins.

The move is expected to give momentum for the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, which has been eager to establish the schools since its head Kong Jeong-taek was reelected in July.

Officials say international middle school will help curb Korea's growing education deficit by absorbing a portion of those students that are now going abroad for their studies.

All the main curricula at the international schools, except for Korean language classes, will be taught in English to promote greater proficiency in the language.

"I will vote in favor of it in consideration of the demand for diversified education service and globalization," said Lee In-jong, a member of the board.

Critics, however, say that international middle schools will serve as an exclusive gateway for privileged students to enter top universities and to study abroad, pointing out that school tuition is likely to cost around 7 million won (US$5,400) a year.

"There are no countries that provide special education for a privileged class within the public education frame," said Choi Hong-yi, one of the members who did not attend the vote to oppose the proposal.

"When the municipal government officially announces the establishment of the international schools next week, we will file a petition with the Constitutional Court," said Park Beom, director of the Association of Parents for Real Education.

(Yonhap)

For the conservative education chief, the latest revelation that his funding involved school meal services delivered the biggest blow to his credibility as it comes amid growing skepticism of food safety standards. Calls mounted for him to resign.

"Parents are angry because the issue directly concerns children's health," Jeon Eun-ja, a director of Parents' Association for Equal Education, said. "Even though he says he didn't know, what percent of Seoul citizens will actually believe that?"

The Seoul education office acknowledged that three private school meal agencies provided 1 million won (US$830) each for Kong's campaign, but denied any possibility of business favors as the donations were made under the name of the agencies' heads and not the agencies themselves.

Prosecutors are investigating Kong's election funding, up to 80 percent of which is assumed to have come from dubious sources. Other controversial benefactors include Hana Bank CEO Kim Seung-yu, who is pushing to set up a private high school in a redevelopment area north of Seoul and reportedly gave Kong 3 million won for the race.

Kong's conservative supporters argue the amount of the donations are too insignificant to draw political favors, and that the decision on meal program management ultimately lies with each individual school and not with the superintendent, they note.

"We have to see if there's a cause-and-effect relationship between the money offered and any possible benefits" to contributors, said Kim Dong-seok, spokesman for the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, a conservative umbrella group of teachers nationwide. "Prosecutors are investigating the case, and it's too early to judge (Kong) by insinuations," said Kim, who wondered aloud whether "meal services would get favors for 1 million won."

The Seoul superintendent wields ultimate power in executing the city's annual education budget of 6 trillion won, the approval of new schools and the supervision of 55,000 teachers and school staffers from public kindergarten to high schools.

Critics note that unlike his provincial counterparts, Kong has been reluctant to encourage schools to quit private services and directly manage their own meal programs.

They say Seoul has been slow to meet requirements that all schools must switch to directly providing meals by 2010. The regulation was legislated in the wake of a mass food poisoning scare in 2006, when 3,000 students in 46 schools fell ill after eating meals supplied by a private agency under the company CJ Group.

According to government data, only 52.9 percent of primary and secondary schools in Seoul directly provides student meals, while the average for the rest of the country is 88.4 percent.

Parents and students have called for increased scrutiny on school meal programs following the lifting of a ban on U.S. beef imports and a recent Chinese food scandal involving the industrial toxin melamine used for dairy products.

Even before the scandal emerged, Kong drew fierce criticism for his attempts to increase the number of elite schools in the city such as two international middle schools set to open next year. Critics fear his policy to enhance education through competition will further drive up private education spending and exacerbate the educational gap between rich and poor.

Funding scandals have already forced the resignation of two provincial superintendents. Cho Byung-in, the superintendent of North Gyeongsang Province, and Oh Je-jick of South Chungcheong Province announced their intention to leave office last week amid investigations into allegations that they took bribes to fund their campaigns.