Jang Seok-woong, Jeonnam Education Superintendent Candidate, Demands Explanation from People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Office on 'Support for Kim Dae-jung'

Constitutional Violation of 'Educational Political Neutrality' in Party Election Interference

Jang Seok-woong, Preliminary Candidate for Jeonnam Superintendent of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Jang Seok-woong, a preliminary candidate for Jeonnam Superintendent of Education, demanded on the 9th, “The People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee should clearly clarify the reasonable suspicion that it supports preliminary candidate Kim Dae-jung.”

Candidate Jang Seok-woong held a press conference at the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on the same day and stated, “With less than a month remaining until the June 1 local elections, hundreds of illegal banners have been posted throughout the streets of Jeonnam under the name ‘Association Loving Jeonnam Education’ since last month. The content reads ‘Jeonnam Office of Education’s CSAT scores and integrity rankings are the worst ever,’ and the president of the ‘Association Loving Jeonnam Education’ is the current People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Chairman Kim OO.”

He continued, “Since registering as a preliminary candidate in February, Kim Dae-jung, the Jeonnam Superintendent of Education candidate, has consistently distorted and exaggerated facts by claiming ‘Jeonnam Office of Education’s integrity ranking is the worst ever, and CSAT scores are the worst ever,’ thereby disparaging and defaming the Jeonnam Office of Education and Jeonnam educators. The content of the banners posted under the name ‘Association Loving Jeonnam Education,’ chaired by People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Chairman Kim OO, matches the claims consistently made by Kim Dae-jung’s camp regarding ‘worst-ever integrity ranking and CSAT scores,’” he asserted.

Candidate Jang Seok-woong said, “Our election campaign headquarters cannot help but raise suspicions that the People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee supports preliminary candidate Kim Dae-jung and intends to have him elected as Jeonnam Superintendent of Education,” and requested, “The People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee should clearly clarify the reasonable suspicion that it supports preliminary candidate Kim Dae-jung.”

Jang added, “If the People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee supports candidate Kim Dae-jung, it is clearly an intervention by a political party in the superintendent of education election, which violates the Constitution that stipulates the ‘political neutrality of education.’ We urge the Jeonnam Election Commission and judicial authorities to thoroughly investigate the relationship between the ‘Association Loving Jeonnam Education’ that posted illegal banners, the People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee, and candidate Kim Dae-jung, and to clarify all suspicions.”

Furthermore, he stated, “Illegal banners defaming the Jeonnam Office of Education have been posted indiscriminately across cities, counties, towns, townships, and neighborhoods throughout Jeonnam, and this was done very systematically,” emphasizing, “The masterminds behind these illegal election acts must be revealed.”

He concluded, “Our election campaign headquarters promises the people of Jeonnam to engage in a clean policy contest for the Jeonnam Superintendent of Education election without defaming anyone.”

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