Jeonnam Superintendent Election Turns into Seven-Way Race...Challengers Pursue as Kim Daejung Leads

Kim Daejung Maintains Lead with Over 30% Support in Polls
Female Candidate Kang Sookyung, Regional Contenders Kim Haeryong and Moon Seungtae Form a Challenging Bloc
Jang Gwanho, Choi Daewook, and Ko Dugap Join the Race... 30% Swing Voters Remain the

With about seven months remaining until the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June next year, the race for the Jeonnam Superintendent of Education has entered a full-fledged competitive phase. While incumbent Superintendent Kim Daejung is considered a strong contender for re-election, a number of key figures in the education sector have announced their candidacies, effectively creating a seven-way race.

According to the education sector on October 29, Kim has maintained a lead in recent opinion polls, leveraging the advantages of incumbency and four years of administrative experience.

Superintendent Kim Daejung, former Jeonnam Office of Education Inspector Kang Sukyoung, former Yeosu Education Director Kim Haeryong, Soonchunhyang University Vice President Moon Seungtae, former Jeonnam branch head of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union Jang Gwanho, former vice chairman of the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations Choi Daewook, and Mokpo University Professor Ko Dugap (from left)

In a survey conducted by Jeonnam Maeil and Gwangju Catholic Peace Broadcasting on October 28-29, with Korea Information Research polling 1,001 Jeonnam residents aged 18 or older (95% confidence level, margin of error ±3.1 percentage points), Superintendent Kim recorded a support rate of 32.6%. In a previous survey by Namdo Ilbo and Realmeter in June, he also ranked first with 33.7%, demonstrating stable support.

Superintendent Kim has presented "Glocal Jeonnam Education Leading K-Edu" as his vision, with major pledges including the introduction of dedicated teachers for basic academic skills, strengthening reading and humanities education, and establishing the Jeonnam International Vocational High School.

In particular, the "Jeonnam Student Education Allowance" system, which provides 100,000 won per month to approximately 80,000 elementary students in the province, was implemented last year for the first time in the country and has emerged as a key issue in this election. About 96 billion won is allocated annually for this program, and the Jeonnam Office of Education is considering expanding the allowance to include about 90,000 middle and high school students in the future.

In the nationwide superintendent job performance evaluation conducted by Realmeter, Superintendent Kim has consistently ranked first or second, maintaining a positive assessment and reinforcing the strength of the incumbent.

Kang Sukyoung, former Superintendent at the Jeonnam Office of Education, has entered the race, highlighting over 30 years of field experience and a practical image. Kang has identified key priorities such as closing academic gaps, strengthening career and university admission support systems in collaboration with local universities and businesses, transitioning to digital innovation in education, expanding character and civic education, promoting global exchanges, and restoring teacher authority.

Whether expectations for a new female candidate will have an impact is considered the biggest variable in the history of the Jeonnam superintendent election. However, current support for Kang remains in the mid-single digits, making name recognition a challenge.

Kim Haeryong, former Director of the Yeosu Education Support Office, has been active as the head of the "Jeonnam Education Transformation Forum" and officially declared his candidacy last month. Emphasizing strong drive, Kim has presented a vision of "future-oriented education centered on students and the field, combining digital innovation and ecological sensitivity," and is taking proactive steps in his campaign.

While building an organization centered on the eastern region, including Yeosu, Goheung, and Suncheon, Kim's support currently remains at the 5-7% level, making it urgent to find a breakthrough.

Moon Seungtae, Vice President of Suncheon National University, is emphasizing "glocal education growing together with the local community," based on 37 years of experience as a teacher, professor, and administrator. He is expanding his support base in the Suncheon and Gwangyang areas, and is notable for proposing a talent development model that links universities with elementary and secondary education.

Moon plans to hold a publication event at Suncheon National University on November 22 and officially begin his election campaign. However, his name recognition and organizational base are considered relatively weak.

In addition, Jang Gwanho, former Head of the Jeonnam Branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, has announced his candidacy representing the progressive education sector, and Choi Daewook, former Vice Chairman of the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations, has also expressed his intention to run. Ko Dugap, Professor of Economics at Mokpo National University, is reportedly considering a run as well, with up to seven or eight candidates expected to compete.

Some in the education sector have expressed concerns about vote splitting due to the large number of candidates, and there are reports that some candidates have met, raising the possibility of future consolidation. The largest variable in this election is the direction of the swing voters, who make up around 30%. While Superintendent Kim's support remains stable in the 30% range, it falls far short of a majority, so appealing to swing voters is expected to be the decisive factor.

An education sector official commented, "Attention is focused on whether the incumbent's strength will continue or whether the organizational skills and campaign promises of new candidates will shake up the race. In particular, with many swing voters, the next four to five months will be critical in determining the outcome."

Jeonnam is facing structural crises such as a sharp decline in the school-age population, consolidation of rural and fishing village schools, and stagnation in university entrance exam scores. The number of students in Jeonnam decreased from 180,000 in 2020 to 170,000 in 2024, and is expected to drop to the 140,000 range by 2030.

As a result, presenting practical solutions is expected to be a key issue in this election. The Jeonnam superintendent race is likely to unfold around three main axes: whether the incumbent's advantage continues, the direction of swing voters, and regional organizational competitiveness.

Whether Superintendent Kim will solidify his dominance or whether rival candidates will mount a counterattack is expected to be the main point of interest going forward.