Jang Seok-woong, Jeonnam Superintendent of Education, Farewell Ceremony: "Carry on Achievements and Innovate What Is Lacking"

Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam, held a farewell ceremony on the 27th, concluding his four-year term. Photo by Jeonnam Office of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam Province, held a farewell ceremony at the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education's main conference room on the 27th, concluding his four-year term.

The farewell ceremony was modestly held with about 260 attendees, including Kim Jeong-hee, Vice Chairman of the Jeonnam Provincial Council's Education Committee, former and current directors of the Provincial Office of Education, education superintendents of education support offices, heads of affiliated institutions, faculty members, parents, and other internal and external guests.

Superintendent Jang Seok-woong received plaques of appreciation and commendation from the members of the Jeonnam Provincial Council's Education Committee, executives of the Provincial Office of Education, and the Jeonnam Education Superintendents Association in recognition of his contributions to the development of education in Jeonnam.

Superintendent Jang self-assessed, "Teachers, parents, and local residents of Jeonnam have changed and developed themselves over the past four years, creating a flow of innovation and change that can never be reversed."

He continued, "Over the past four years, I placed students and classrooms at the center of everything and worked hard for educational innovation in Jeonnam. When I presented the broad direction of innovation, staff demonstrated creativity in implementing policies, and in the field, seeds of innovation were discovered and nurtured, resulting in numerous exemplary and pioneering achievements."

Superintendent Jang emphasized, "All these achievements were made in just over two years since my inauguration, and even amid the COVID-19 crisis, we succeeded. We turned the crisis into an opportunity to move beyond innovation toward the future, and changes and innovations that began on the periphery became models and standards for our education."

He added, "Now, Jeonnam education is ending its third term of direct election and beginning the fourth. I hope the achievements will be inherited and the shortcomings supplemented for further innovation. I will cheer enthusiastically from outside for the development of Jeonnam education and become a person who paves the way myself."

Superintendent Jang graduated from Gwangju High School and Jeonnam National University with a major in history education. He devoted himself to teaching starting in 1981 at Ueo Middle School and served as a regular teacher for 37 years until 2017 at Yeongam Miam Middle School.

During his teaching career, he experienced imprisonment and dismissal due to his activities with the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU). He also served as the national chairman of the KTU and co-representative of the Jeonnam Disabled Education and Human Rights Solidarity.