'Muju Gongsan' Gwangju Superintendent of Education Candidates Begin Full-Scale Campaigning

Preliminary Candidate Registration, Campaign Declarations, and Book Launches Follow One Another

Choi Young-tae, Park Joo-jung, and Others Also Announce "Will Not Run"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Cho Hyung-joo] With the Gwangju Metropolitan City Superintendent of Education election just over three months away, candidates knocking on the door of Gwangju's education leadership have begun declaring their candidacies and actively engaging in campaign activities.

According to the Gwangju Metropolitan City Election Commission on the 9th, since the preliminary candidate registration on the 1st, four candidates have registered as of this day: former Gwangju National University of Education President Lee Jeong-seon, former Dong-A Girls' Middle School appointed chairman Kim Seon-ho, former Korea Education and Research Information Service Director Park Hye-ja, and former Gwangju National University of Education President Lee Jeong-jae.

Lee Jeong-seon, who completed registration on the first day of preliminary candidate registration on the 1st, has held a policy briefing titled "Promise of Gwangju Education Transformation" since the 7th instead of making a formal candidacy declaration. He plans to hold policy presentations for the development of Gwangju education 10 times every Monday.

He plans to make an official candidacy announcement after the "Hwajeong-dong collapse accident recovery" and will hold a book concert at Chosun University Haeorum Hall on the 12th under the theme "We will not give up on a single child. 2.0."

Former Korea Education and Research Information Service Director Park Hye-ja officially declared her candidacy on the 7th, stating, "I will refresh Gwangju education through the Hye-ja style Gwangju education."

Park said, "In the face of the COVID-19 onslaught, the future society has come faster, and Gwangju education is at a point where a major transformation in education is necessary," adding, "Now is the time for Gwangju education to boldly break away from the outdated past education and properly refresh itself."

After completing preliminary candidate registration on the 8th, she plans to hold a book launch event at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center on the 19th.

Former Gwangju National University of Education President Lee Jeong-jae also held a press conference at the city education office on the 8th to announce his candidacy and completed preliminary candidate registration, officially starting his campaign.

Lee said, "As a member of Gwangju's education community, when I think about the future of Gwangju education, I feel an urgent need to no longer remain as we are and to raise the flag of new education by running in the Gwangju Superintendent of Education election."

Jeong Seong-hong, former head of the Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, who postponed his candidacy press conference due to the Gwangju apartment collapse accident, plans to hold a book launch event at Gwangju Arts Middle and High School on the 11th and complete preliminary candidate registration along with a press conference on the 15th.

Former Dong-A Girls' Middle School appointed chairman Kim Seon-ho plans to declare his candidacy on the 10th by meeting citizens directly in front of the Chungjang-ro Post Office, moving away from the city education office.

He completed preliminary candidate registration on the 3rd and intends to omit the book launch event as much as possible due to COVID-19 concerns.

Former Chosun University President Kang Dong-wan officially declared his candidacy on the 25th of last month, stating, "Transforming Gwangju education into brain cognitive education and problem-solving education for convergent thinking is the way to overcome the downward leveling Gwangju faces and to build a world-class Gwangju."

Kang plans to hold a book concert at Chosun University Haeorum Hall on the 19th with three themes: "Kang Dong-wan's Happiness Recipe," "Education Recipe: Gwangju is School," and "8th Class of 1st Year Middle School," and will complete preliminary candidate registration soon.

As candidates rumored to run for the education office begin solidifying their support bases, attention is also focused on the movements of former Chonnam National University President Ji Byung-moon and former West Education Support Office Director Kim Hong-sik, who have not clearly stated their candidacy intentions.

Also, as a fierce election battle is expected, former Dean of the College of Humanities at Chonnam National University Choi Young-tae and West Education Support Office Director Park Joo-jung have expressed their intention not to run.

Former Dean Choi said on the 18th of last month via SNS, "I thank and apologize to everyone who cared for, encouraged, and supported me," adding, "I will stop election campaigning."

Director Park of the West Education Support Office also expressed his intention to withdraw from the race on the 8th via text message, saying, "I am not ready."

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