Jinseongjun Advises Gwak Nohyeon Not to Run for Superintendent of Education... "Not Appropriate Within Common Sense"

Jin Seong-jun, the Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, advised Gwak Noh-hyun, former Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent, who is running in the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education by-election, to withdraw his candidacy.

Former Seoul Superintendent of Education Kwak No-hyun is holding a press conference declaring his candidacy in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 5th, about a month before the Seoul Superintendent of Education by-election.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 10th, at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Chair Jin said, "Former Superintendent Gwak has expressed his intention to run again in the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education by-election scheduled for next month," adding, "Although the recent court ruling may feel unfair to former Superintendent Gwak, his candidacy this time is inappropriate in many ways from the perspective of common sense among citizens."

He continued, "The reckless abuse of prosecutorial power by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is not a recent issue, but it is not a matter for the head of education responsible for Seoul’s elementary and secondary education to resolve," and explained, "Citizens would not want the by-election, which should be a fair competition over various education policies, to degenerate into a political battlefield full of partisan strife."

Chair Jin urged former Superintendent Gwak to reconsider his candidacy. He stated, "I recommend that he reflect coldly from the perspective of Seoul citizens and exercise restraint," and added, "I hope former Superintendent Gwak will make a wise decision for the education of Seoul, which he has valued highly, and for our students."

Former Superintendent Gwak, who was disqualified from office in 2012 due to election fraud, declared his candidacy for the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education by-election to be held next month. When announcing his candidacy on the 5th, Gwak said, "(This by-election) is an election to protect our education from prosecutorial power," and described it as "an intermediate judgment moving toward a triple impeachment of the Yoon administration."