Kim Sang-kwon, the unified candidate for moderate-conservative Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education, campaigning on the street. [Image source=Kim Sang-kwon Candidate Election Committee]
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] A heated debate unfolded between candidates for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education over the student rights ordinance.
In this election, Park Jong-hoon, the current superintendent running as a progressive candidate, and Kim Sang-kwon, who positions himself as a conservative-moderate unified candidate, were both directors of the Gyeongnam Office of Education at the time the ordinance was promoted.
On the 23rd, Kim Sang-kwon’s camp attacked Park Jong-hoon through a statement, saying, “Stop twisting facts and acting recklessly.”
The campaign committee explained, “At the MBC candidate invitation debate on the 20th, Park Jong-hoon claimed that Kim Sang-kwon, as the director at the time, directly approved the student rights ordinance. However, on September 11, 2018, a press conference led by Superintendent Park Jong-hoon, Middle School Division Head Choi, Democratic Citizenship Education Division Head Heo, and dispatched teacher Lee publicly announced the Gyeongnam Student Rights Ordinance.”
They criticized that although Kim Sang-kwon was the director of the education bureau at the time, he opposed the student rights ordinance and did not attend the press conference.
Before the Gyeongnam Student Rights Ordinance review by the Gyeongsang Provincial Council on May 14, 2019, a consultation meeting to hear opinions on the ordinance was held in the main conference room with all provincial council members present, but Kim did not attend.
“The consultation included key responsible figures such as Superintendent Park Jong-hoon, Vice Superintendent Song, Democratic Citizenship Education Division Head Heo, Professor Ko from Inje University, and Teacher Lee from Changwon Jungang Girls’ High School as pro-ordinance panelists,” and they pointed out, “Calling Kim the person responsible for the student rights ordinance is a distortion of facts.”
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Kim’s camp sharpened their stance, saying, “At the KBS superintendent candidate invitation debate on the 12th, although it was said that the student rights ordinance was promoted by the Gyeongnam Office of Education organization, in reality, it was a representative left-leaning ideological policy pushed by certain union-affiliated insiders from the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union.”
“Article 6 of the Framework Act on Education declares educational autonomy and political neutrality of education,” they added, “Education should be operated to fulfill its original purpose and function, and must not be used as a means to spread political factionalism or personal prejudice.”
Kim Sang-kwon’s campaign committee urged, “Candidate Park, refrain from recklessly involving Kim Sang-kwon in the student rights ordinance and stop deceiving the people of Gyeongnam with falsehoods.”
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