Jeong Geunsik, Kang Sinman, Hong Jenam Three-Way Race
Jeong Geunsik Finalized Through 1st and 2nd Primaries
Jeong Geunsik "Will Continue and Develop Innovative Education"
Unified Campaign Committee Formed, Primary Candidates' Promises Reflected
Professor Jeong Geun-sik, Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University, was selected as the unified progressive candidate for the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education by-election to be held on the 16th of next month.
The Seoul Democratic Progressive Superintendent of Education Promotion Committee (Promotion Committee), the unification body for the progressive side, announced on the 25th that Candidate Jeong was officially confirmed as the candidate in the final unification primary. Candidate Jeong was nominated as the final unified candidate by ranking first in the combined results of the Promotion Committee members' votes and general public opinion polls, each weighted 50:50, from the first and second rounds of primaries.
In the first primary, candidates included Jeong, former Seoul Superintendent of Education Kwak No-hyeon, former Seoul Education Committee member Ahn Seung-moon, former Vice Chairman of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union Kang Shin-man, and former principal of Oryu Middle School Hong Je-nam. The second primary featured Candidate Jeong, former Vice Chairman Kang, and former Principal Hong. As a result of the primaries, Candidate Jeong surpassed former Vice Chairman Kang and former Principal Hong to become the final nominated candidate.
In his acceptance speech, Candidate Jeong said, "I feel a heavy responsibility to win the upcoming general election by honoring the choice of Seoul citizens," and added, "I will judge the current government's education policies, which have been characterized by poor communication and hasty decisions, and will inherit and develop innovative education."
He also urged candidates who did not participate in the unification primary to join in solidarity. Currently, in the progressive camp, Professor Bang Hyun-seok of Chung-Ang University’s Creative Writing Department, former Seoul Digital University President Kim Jae-hong, former Ewha Womans University International Studies Professor Cho Gi-sook, and former Seoul City Council Education Member Choi Bo-seon have declared independent candidacies.
Former Superintendent Kwak, former Committee member Ahn, former Vice Chairman Kang, and former Principal Hong, who participated in the primary, agreed in the afternoon to unite for the nomination of the candidate and victory in the general election. Candidate Jeong will launch an integrated election campaign committee with these candidates and actively incorporate their policy pledges.
Candidate Jeong has set core goals such as inheriting innovative education, guaranteeing basic academic skills, and resolving educational disparities. His first pledge is to create a new governance body called the "Seoul Education Plus Committee," where students, teachers, parents, and the local community participate together at the regional education office level.
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