"Thank You for Enduring the Harassment" Busan Superintendent of Education Leaves Supportive Post for Cho Kuk on Facebook

Posted Impressions of 'Joguk-ui Sigan' on Facebook
"Whole Family Faced Intense Criticism but Survived"
"Inappropriate as a Public Official" vs "Personal Opinion" Netizens Debate

Kim Seok-jun, Superintendent of Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, shared his thoughts after reading the memoir of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, titled Cho Kuk's Time. / Photo by Facebook Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Kim Seok-jun, Superintendent of Education for Busan Metropolitan City, sparked controversy over violating political neutrality by posting his thoughts on reading the memoir published by former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk on his social media service (SNS) account. While some criticize that it is inappropriate for a sitting superintendent to post supportive comments about the former minister, others argue that everyone has the right to express personal opinions.

On the 13th, Superintendent Kim posted on his Facebook, "I am grateful and deeply thankful to him who endured the painful time of being publicly shamed with his entire family and came back alive. I support every step he takes steadily forward," along with an image of Cho’s book, Time of Cho Kuk. On the same day, Cho Kuk replied to Kim’s comment, expressing gratitude by saying, "I will work harder."

Time of Cho Kuk is a recently published book by the former minister, which organizes the so-called "Cho Kuk incident" that occurred after he was nominated as Minister of Justice in 2019, and includes untold stories related to the situation at that time.

Earlier, on the 27th of last month, Cho Kuk announced the release of his new book on his Facebook, stating, "I carefully prepared this book after a long period of reflection and self-restraint. After revealing the words I had kept in my heart, I feel much lighter."

Opinions among netizens were divided over Superintendent Kim’s comment. Some pointed out that it is inappropriate for a sitting superintendent to publicly support the former minister, who is currently on trial for allegations of his children’s admission fraud. On the other hand, there were counterarguments that anyone can express personal opinions as long as they are not in an official capacity.

A netizen who identified as a parent commented, "I am really disappointed that you are doing this publicly. Is there anyone in South Korea who does not know that his entire family was involved in their children’s admission fraud? This post is inappropriate for an educator."

Meanwhile, voices defending Superintendent Kim’s post also emerged. One netizen said, "The superintendent probably wrote this carefully and it was not a political judgment. I feel sincerity. I support you." Another netizen added, "It must be a sensitive time, but thank you for clearly expressing your thoughts and position. I hope your sincerity is conveyed."

Meanwhile, Kim, a former professor at Pusan National University, has been serving as superintendent since 2014 and announced his intention to run for a third term in 2022.

During his time as a professor at Pusan National University, Superintendent Kim worked with Cho Kuk in the "Democratization Professors’ Council." Also, in 2011, when he served as co-chairman of the Unified Progressive Party’s Busan branch, he maintained a personal friendship with Cho Kuk, including co-hosting a political talk show together.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.