Gangwon Provincial Councilor Choi Jaemin: "Gangwon Education Office, Schools, etc. Had Sole-Source Contracts Worth 2.2 Billion Won with One Company Over Five Years"

Gangwon Education Science and Information Institute Signed 170 Million Won in Negotiated Contracts with One Company Over Four Years
41.1 Million Won for 137 Gemini Accounts... Calls for Review of Vendor Selection and Pricing Appropriateness

Choi Jaemin, Gangwon Provincial Council member. Provided by the Gangwon Provincial Council.

The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education's Education Science and Information Institute has entered into negotiated contracts worth approximately 170 million won with a single company over the past four years. The contracted items ranged from subscriptions to artificial intelligence (AI) services to the operation of software (SW) and AI education programs and the purchase of hands-on learning materials.

Gangwon Provincial Councilor Choi Jaemin called for a review of why the institute repeatedly contracted with the same company and whether the contract amounts were appropriate during an administrative audit.

According to contract records obtained by Choi, in May 2025, the Education Science and Information Institute purchased, through the company, eight-month subscriptions to Google's generative AI service Gemini for 137 accounts, at a cost of 41.1 million won. In July 2026, it also bought one-month Gemini subscriptions for 30 accounts from the same company for 1.125 million won.

Choi asked why the institute had repeatedly purchased the subscriptions through the same company when it could subscribe to Gemini directly. He also said it should be determined whether it was necessary to purchase 137 accounts at once and whether the contract price was appropriate.

“The institute's negotiated contracts with this company were not limited to the Education Science and Information Institute; they were also widespread among education support offices, schools at all levels, and the provincial education office,” Choi said. “We understand that the total value of negotiated contracts with this company over the past five years alone reached approximately 2.2 billion won.”

He added, “The circumstances behind the concentration of contracts with this company, ranging from AI subscription purchases to outsourced operation of SW and AI programs, as well as the appropriateness of the prices and the actual educational outcomes, must be thoroughly examined.”

Choi plans to review the contracting practices of this company and related businesses during upcoming administrative audits of education support offices and the provincial education office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.