Gyeongnam Superintendent Election, 'Park Jonghun vs Kim Sangkwon' Progressive vs Conservative Big Match? ... Jinyeongmin and Heo Gido Eyeing Candidacy

Incumbent Superintendent Seeks Third Term Challenged by Former Education Office Director

Another Candidate from Progressive and Moderate Conservative Camps Expected to Join

Park Jong-hoon, current Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education (left), and Kim Sang-kwon, former Director of the Education Bureau.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Se-ryeong] As the June 1 local elections approach, the heat of the Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education election is rising.

Earlier this year, Park Jong-hoon, the current progressive superintendent, announced his intention to run for a third term, while the centrist and conservative camps have unified to nominate Kim Sang-kwon, former Director of Education at the Gyeongnam Office of Education, as their candidate.

With the candidates from both camps becoming clear, the residents' interest in the Gyeongnam education leadership election is intensifying.

Superintendent Park Jong-hoon stated, “Over the past eight years, I have transformed Gyeongnam education into customized education based on students' aptitudes, interests, and achievements,” adding, “I am determined to secure a third term to establish the iTalkTalk platform and mature Gyeongnam education.”

Kim Sang-kwon’s camp claims, “Over the past eight years, the academic achievement level of Gyeongnam students has fallen to the lowest,” and declared the intention to reclaim the superintendent position, warning that “if the new educational environment is not changed, Gyeongnam education will face an irreversible crisis.”

The superintendent election does not involve party nominations and thus no candidate numbers are assigned, but candidates’ progressive or conservative tendencies indirectly reflect party affiliations.

Superintendent Park Jong-hoon is confident that his “incumbent premium” and high recognition will help him overcome the barrier to a third term.

Former Director Kim Sang-kwon expressed confidence, saying that since last year, the unification movement among candidates has made residents fully aware of the necessity to change to a centrist-conservative superintendent.

Currently, in the progressive camp, besides Superintendent Park Jong-hoon, Jin Young-min, chairman of the Gyeongnam Office of Education Public Officials Union, who has been weighing a run, is reportedly preparing to announce his candidacy.

On the centrist-conservative side, former Gyeongnam Provincial Council Chairman Heo Gi-do is showing resistance related to lawsuits during the unification process, drawing attention to whether the election will be a showdown between the two major camps or a race with multiple candidates.

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