[Interview] Park Jong-hoon, Candidate for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education Seeking Third Term, "It's Time to Complete Gyeongnam-Style Future Education"

Candidate Park Jong-hoon for Superintendent of Education in Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Education of Gyeongnam, has once again announced his candidacy for the June Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education election, pledging to complete the future education system. This marks the third-term challenge of a progressive superintendent of education.

The so-called ‘progressive’ superintendents emerged prominently in the 2014 election, with 13 out of 17 city and provincial superintendents nationwide elected under the banner of educational innovation, increasing to 14 in the 2018 election. This solidified most regions nationwide under a progressive education system.

Although political power experienced ups and downs through public judgment, the progressive camp, which has held educational power for the past eight years, steadfastly resisted changes through elections.

Progressive superintendents such as Cho Hee-yeon of Seoul, Kim Seok-jun of Busan, Kim Byung-woo of Chungbuk, Kim Ji-chul of Chungnam, and Choi Gyo-jin of Sejong have all challenged for a third term, pledging to complete educational innovation. Park Jong-hoon of Gyeongnam is among them.

Park, who considers the attempt to change every aspect of education over the past eight years as his greatest achievement, cited three main accomplishments: strengthening publicness, presenting a new school model, and laying the foundation for a future education system.

“We strengthened educational publicness by early implementation of free school meals and free high school education, and I take pride in being able to present a new school model centered on Happy Schools.” The interview began with confident pride and conviction.

He emphasized that Gyeongnam education is creating a new model for future education in Korea, as Seoul and Jeju superintendents have visited consecutively to benchmark after Gyeongnam became the first nationwide to introduce a big data-AI based education system.

Park promised that if he succeeds in his third term, he will realize the nation’s first AI-based education system built upon the foundation he has established.

“Making Gyeongnam a good place to raise children is not just a slogan but something to be realized through concrete policies.”

He pledged to achieve student-tailored education that provides educational support according to the growth process from first grade in elementary school to third grade in high school, based on learning data collected through ‘I-TalkTalk’ and the distribution of one laptop per student.

To prevent students and parents from getting lost amid rapidly changing college entrance systems and an overwhelming flood of information, he also plans to establish a career education center and an integrated college counseling center based on big data and AI.

Regarding claims that basic academic skills of students in the Gyeongnam region have declined, he rebutted that there is no empirical evidence and that academic performance has been managed steadily even during the COVID-19 situation.

Park explained, “According to the 2019 and 2021 data on the 3R’s (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) deficiencies among third graders in Gyeongnam elementary schools, the number of students below standard in reading, writing, and arithmetic has actually decreased. Surveys targeting second and third graders in middle school and first graders in high school also showed lower academic disparity compared to other cities and provinces.”

He plans to take responsibility for students’ basic academic skills by establishing an integrated diagnosis and customized evaluation system for basic academic skills, as well as a Basic Academic Support Center and dedicated teachers responsible for basic academic skills.

Although he advocates so-called progressive education, he expressed skepticism about political factionalism such as conservative, moderate, or progressive logic operating in elections.

He said, “Unlike other elections, we must consider the students who watch the election process in the superintendent election. Since the election itself is part of the educational process, it is undesirable,” dismissing divisiveness.

Quoting educationalist John Dewey’s phrase that ‘democracy is a way of life,’ he said democracy is learned not only through theory but through living it.

This is why he encourages students to participate in school operation committees, run student councils, and create and engage in clubs.

He emphasized that he has never neglected education on the basic virtues required as democratic citizens stated in the Framework Act on Education: responsibility, consideration, and respect.

Park had declared at the time of his re-election in 2018 that he would not run for a third term.

However, citing the variable of COVID-19 which disrupted the educational environment and stalled policies toward future education one by one, he ‘retracted’ his own declaration to complete the transition to a new future education system, which he called an ‘excuse’ for his change of mind.

He explained that the education office’s capabilities were dispersed responding to virus spread and educational recovery, making it difficult to focus on building the future education system.

“I promised to complete the reform tasks of Gyeongnam education and not to run for a third term, and I apologize for not keeping that promise,” he bowed his head.

“Right now, restoring the daily life of schools is the most urgent task, and completing a student-tailored future education system and Gyeongnam-style free education is important,” he said. “I consider this my final duty and will create better Gyeongnam education in four years.”

Whether Gyeongnam voters will grant Park, who is challenging for a ‘third term’ without keeping his promise, a ‘COVID discount’ and a final chance remains their decision.

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