59 Dismissed and Retired Teachers in Gyeongnam Urge Political Activity Rights for Teachers and Public Officials

Dismissed and retired teachers in the Gyeongnam region have called for the guarantee of freedom for teachers and public officials to engage in political activities, including political expression and joining political parties.

On September 24, 59 dismissed and retired teachers held a press conference in the briefing room of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council, urging the guarantee of basic political rights for teachers and public officials.

These individuals are former teachers who were either dismissed due to activities with the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union or court rulings on the union's legal status, or who have completed their terms and are now free to engage in political activities.

Dismissed and retired teachers in the Gyeongnam region are holding a press conference urging the guarantee of basic political rights for teachers and public officials. Photo by Lee Seryung

They stated, "Unlike ordinary workers, teachers and public officials are not guaranteed the right to collective action, which is one of the three basic labor rights. They also face restrictions on supporting specific political parties, joining and participating in political parties, donating to political campaigns, and running for office. This seriously undermines the essence of citizenship guaranteed by the Constitution."

They went on to say, "Among OECD countries, only South Korea completely prohibits teachers and public officials from joining political parties. The International Labour Organization has also recommended that the South Korean government guarantee the basic political rights of teachers and public officials."

They argued that while political neutrality should be maintained during educational activities and work hours at school, teachers and public officials should be free to make political statements, express opinions, participate in activities on social networking services (SNS), and engage in party activities outside of work hours.

The dismissed and retired teachers pointed out, "In South Korea, simply posting a political opinion or sharing news on social networking services (SNS) can result in disciplinary action or criminal punishment. This is a representative example of the backwardness of South Korean democracy."

They further stated, "With the deprivation of teachers' basic political rights, educational experts are thoroughly excluded from the process of making education policy decisions, resulting in policies that are disconnected from reality. This undermines the essence of education."

They emphasized, "Political neutrality should only apply to educational activities within schools. Outside of school, teachers should be able to express political opinions and participate in policy decisions."

They added, "President Lee Jaemyung promised to guarantee teachers' basic political rights during the presidential election. The President must keep the promises made to the public, and the National Assembly must also respond with a responsible attitude."

They also declared, "We fully support the ongoing struggle by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union and the Public Officials' Union to secure basic political rights, and we will join them in this fight."

Song Younggi, former head of the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union and representative of the Forum for People and Education, stated, "Concerns that teachers might instill biased political views in students are merely worries, and it is excessive to deny basic political rights on the basis of such concerns."

He added, "Now is the time to consider legal and institutional improvements, rather than focusing on concerns, to move toward a more mature democratic citizenship. We must overcome the current situation where even mentioning political judgments is not allowed."

They plan to continue their campaign for the guarantee of basic political rights for teachers and public officials from today until the end of October, including publicity campaigns, solo protests, meetings with local organizations and labor unions, posting photos and news cards on social networking services, promoting related content, and holding regional protest tours.