Controversies continue over the so-called "smart reinstatement" practice, where regular teachers on leave briefly return to work ahead of school vacations or holidays to receive full salaries and bonuses, resulting in fixed-term substitute teachers being forced to leave before completing their contract terms.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Education to Representative Kim Moon-su of the National Assembly's Education Committee, 296 educators reinstated themselves earlier than originally scheduled during school vacations over the past two years or so.

Among them, 25 cases involved early reinstatement due to personal reasons, while there were 21 instances where teachers returned to work during vacations only to take leave again as the new semester began.

The breakdown includes 6 cases in 2023, 12 cases in 2024, and 3 cases from January to March of last year.

The issue is that when regular teachers return earlier than expected, fixed-term teachers filling their positions can have their contracts terminated midway.

According to the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union's Fixed-Term Teachers Committee, fixed-term teachers whose contracts were terminated due to the early reinstatement of regular teachers numbered 61 in 2024 and 71 last year in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province alone.

However, not all 296 teachers who returned early during vacations can be classified as "smart reinstatements." A look at the reasons for early reinstatement shows that 129 of them returned because the original grounds for their leave had ceased to exist.

These cases include successfully conceiving during fertility leave, the conclusion of a spouse's overseas assignment, or recovery from an illness.

Under current law, teachers must be reinstated once the grounds for leave no longer apply.

In addition, 84 reinstatements were made to use maternity leave, and 58 were to change the type of leave.

The remaining 25 teachers who returned earlier than scheduled citing "other personal reasons" could potentially fall under the category of "smart reinstatement" depending on the specific circumstances.

Education authorities recommend that teachers take leave on a semester basis wherever possible, taking into account students' right to learn, school operations, and the employment security of fixed-term teachers.

They also guide schools not to exclude vacation periods when contracting fixed-term teachers for periods of one semester or longer.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Jang Yu-jin | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News