Former Hampyeong Education Director Kim Seungho Declares "Firm Decision to Run for Superintendent of Education Next Year"

Seungho Kim, Former Hampyeong Education Director

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Former Hampyeong Education Director Kim Seung-ho has officially declared his candidacy for the next year’s Jeonnam Superintendent of Education election.

On the 19th, Kim, the former Hampyeong Education Director, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, “I decided to run for Jeonnam Superintendent of Education due to concerns about the precarious state of Jeonnam education expressed by field opinions and recommendations from those around me,” adding, “I plan to hold an inauguration ceremony around September to October.”

Kim criticized, “Currently, Jeonnam education is not faithful to its essence,” and pointed out, “Especially, due to the lack of leadership by Superintendent Jang Seok-ung, who is pushed by specific groups such as the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), the Jeonnam education field is in a serious crisis.”

Kim cited the involvement of specific groups, collapse of teachers’ authority, and decline in academic achievement as the main causes of the Jeonnam education crisis.

He emphasized, “Primary and secondary education is the period when basic education is established. However, Jeonnam has thoroughly neglected the transmission of knowledge to students and has ranked at the lowest level in national achievement evaluations for the past four years,” and reiterated, “The school field has not established a proper diagnostic and supplementary system for student evaluation at all.”

He added, “In particular, the KTU dismisses knowledge transmission as mere rote learning and emphasizes only creativity and character, which has led Jeonnam education into a serious crisis.”

He stated, “Teachers work hard when they feel rewarded despite difficulties. However, if they make mistakes while leading, they are accused of human rights issues, and teachers’ authority has been stripped away,” and continued, “Principals’ authority should also be respected. Since Superintendent Jang Seok-ung’s inauguration, if a principal’s actions or decisions at school contradict the will of certain groups, they are unconditionally labeled as abuse of power, causing principals’ self-esteem to collapse endlessly.”

He further argued, “It is necessary to review the public opinion polls showing Superintendent Jang Seok-ung’s 25 consecutive months of top job performance approval ratings,” and said, “During former Superintendent Jang Man-chae’s tenure, Jeonnam also continuously ranked first, but this is due to the region’s unique characteristics. Especially, educational effectiveness evaluations should be conducted together, but the current public opinion poll system makes such evaluations impossible.”

He concluded, “Regardless of whether I win the superintendent election, I decided to run to properly assess the current status of Jeonnam education and improve its problems through next year’s election.”

Kim, who majored in German language education at Chonnam National University, earned a master’s and doctoral degree in education from Seoul National University Graduate School and Korea National University of Education Graduate School. He served as principal of Hwasun High School, lecturer at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Chosun University, superintendent of education inspection and policy planning officer at Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education, and education director of Hampyeong Education Support Office. After retiring as principal of Moksang High School in 2017, he is currently serving as an invited professor at Sehan University.

His theses include “Critical Discussion on Accountability in Korean Education,” “Discussion on Korean Literacy as a Core Competency in the 21st Century,” and “Analysis and Prospects of the Changing Nature of the Innovative School Movement.” His co-authored books include “Strategies for Reading Comprehension in the College Scholastic Ability Test English,” “Methodology of Lifelong Education,” and “Education on Using Korean Dictionaries.”

The next year’s Jeonnam Superintendent of Education election is shaping up to be a three-way race with incumbent Superintendent Jang Seok-ung, former Superintendent Kim Dae-jung’s secretary, and former Education Director Kim Seung-ho all confirmed to run.

Additionally, former Jangheung Education Director Wang Myeong-seok is also being mentioned as a candidate for Jeonnam Superintendent of Education.

Wang said, “I plan to take honorary retirement in September,” and added, “Although there are voices around me encouraging me to run for superintendent, nothing has been decided yet. However, I want to help the superintendent election in some way.”

Former candidates such as former Jeonnam Deputy Superintendent Jeong Byeong-geol, Jeonnam Provincial Council Chairman Lee Ho-gyun, and Mokpo National Maritime University President Park Seong-hyun are reported to have declined to run.