Jeonnam Superintendent Race: Kim Daejung Runs Alone... Opposition Unification Still Falls Short

Leading with 34% Approval... 27 Percentage Points Ahead of Second Place
"Undecided Voters at 44% Remain the Only Variable"

With the local elections in June approaching, the race for the Jeonnam Superintendent of Education is solidifying into a one-sided contest led by the incumbent, Daejung Kim. Although challenger candidates have attempted to unite, there are growing observations that this is insufficient to close the gap.

In a New Year opinion poll released on January 5 (commissioned by Newsis, Mudung Ilbo, and Gwangju MBC), Superintendent Kim secured a commanding lead with a 34% approval rating. This put him a full 27 percentage points ahead of Haeryong Kim, former Director of the Yeosu Education Support Office, who came in second with 7%.

Sookyung Kang, former Superintendent of Jeonnam Office of Education, Daejung Kim, Superintendent of Jeonnam Office of Education, Haeryong Kim, former Director of Yeosu Education Support Office, Seungtae Moon, Vice President for External Cooperation at Suncheon National University, Jangganho, former Head of Jeonnam Branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union. (Photo from left in alphabetical order)

Superintendent Kim’s support has risen by 4 percentage points compared to the survey conducted in the second half of last year (30%). In particular, he has shown strong backing in the southwestern region, among voters in their 40s, and among supporters of the Democratic Party, signaling a positive outlook for his re-election bid.

In contrast, all challenger candidates remained in the single digits. Haeryong Kim, former Director of the Yeosu Education Support Office, received 7%; Seungtae Moon, Vice President for External Cooperation at Suncheon National University, 4%; Jangganho, former Head of the Jeonnam Branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, 4%; Sookyung Kang, former Superintendent of the Jeonnam Office of Education, 3%; Dugap Ko, Professor at Mokpo National University, 3%; and Daewook Choi, former Vice President of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, 1%. The proportion of undecided, don't know, or no response voters reached 44%.

Candidates who describe themselves as "democratic progressives" all hovered around 5% support. Even if their support rates are combined, they still fall short of Superintendent Kim. Experts in the education sector analyzed, "The incumbent’s policy achievements, such as glocal education and the establishment of an AI-based educational ecosystem, are attracting centrist voters across both conservative and progressive lines."

Superintendent Kim’s competitiveness is based on three main factors. First, as a former Mokpo City Council Chairman, he has a strong personal network. Second, he has declared 2026 as the "Year of Integrity" and has taken the lead with future-oriented policies such as the "Jeonnam Education AI and Big Data Platform." Third, even within the progressive camp, he is regarded as a rational communicator and has been credited with stable administration in Jeonnam, where support for the Democratic Party is strong.

As the situation has become urgent, the "Democratic Progressive Superintendent Jeonnam Citizen Nomination Committee" has been launched to promote a unified candidacy. Haeryong Kim, Seungtae Moon, and Jangganho have agreed to participate in a primary to select a single candidate, forming an "anti-Daejung Kim" front.

However, skepticism remains, as the individual name recognition of each candidate is low, and even if unification is achieved, simply adding up their support rates is unlikely to overcome Superintendent Kim’s dominance.

In the survey conducted in the second half of last year, Superintendent Kim also led with 30%, while all trailing candidates hovered around 10%, indicating that the gap is not narrowing but rather widening.

Nevertheless, the 44% undecided voters remain a variable. Analysts note that if the superintendent election continues to be characterized by a lack of information, typical of such races, a drop in voter turnout and the potential impact of a last-minute unified candidate could come into play.

An education sector official commented, "Superintendent Kim’s approval rating, which was 30% in the second half of last year, has risen to 34%, further solidifying the perception of his dominance. While his overwhelming lead is clear for now, with more than 40% of voters undecided, variables will remain until the very end."

This Jeonnam superintendent election is shaping up as a contest between "the incumbent defending his position" and "the unified opposition attempting an upset," but for now, Superintendent Kim continues to widen the gap and demonstrate a clear difference in stature as time goes on.