Constitutional Court Rules "Jeju Special Act" Restricting Eligibility for Education Member Candidacy Constitutional

Constitutional Court

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] The Constitutional Court has ruled that the legal provision limiting the eligibility to run for the Jeju Provincial Council Education Committee to those with "5 years of educational experience" is constitutional.

On the 25th, the Constitutional Court announced that it dismissed a constitutional complaint filed by a local civic group claiming that the "Special Act on the Establishment of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Creation of an International Free City," which restricts eligibility to run for education committee members, violates the right to hold public office and the right to equality.

Article 66, Paragraph 2 of the Jeju Special Act stipulates that candidates for education committee members must have at least 5 years of educational experience, such as working at educational institutions. The Constitutional Court stated that since the educational experience requirement was relaxed from "10 years or more" and includes experience not only in kindergartens and schools but also in lifelong education facilities, it is difficult to view this provision as infringing on the right to hold public office.

Although the local education committee elections were abolished nationwide in 2014 due to the sunset provision of the Local Education Autonomy Act amendment, Jeju uniquely maintains the education committee system under the Special Act, which is a superior law to the Local Education Autonomy Act.

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