Candidate Kim Sang-kwon for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education: "I am a confident 'Centrist-Conservative Unified Candidate'"

Candidate Kim Sang-kwon for Superintendent of Education in Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Se-ryeong] Kim Sang-kwon, candidate for Superintendent of Education in Gyeongnam, directly refuted Park Jong-hoon's injunction request to stop using the expression ‘Centrist-Conservative Unified Candidate.’

Kim Sang-kwon’s camp stated, “Candidate Kim was selected through a unification process among preliminary candidates running as centrist-conservative camp superintendents.”

They explained that the primary election for the centrist-conservative unified candidate was conducted via wired and wireless telephone surveys from March 27 to 29, and progressive-leaning voters also participated in the survey.

Among Kim Myung-yong, professor of law at Changwon National University; Kim Sang-kwon, former director of the Gyeongnam Office of Education; Choi Hae-beom, former president of Changwon National University; and Heo Gi-do, former chairman of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council, former director Kim Sang-kwon became the unified candidate with the highest approval rating.

They added that the residents have been fully aware of the unification process that started last year, and Park Jong-hoon never raised any objections to the unification.

Candidate Kim said, “Park Jong-hoon participated in primaries led by progressive organizations such as the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo), the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (Minju-no-chong), and civic groups during his first and second terms, and was elected through their support.”

“While serving as superintendent, he shared policies in solidarity with progressive-leaning superintendents nationwide and interacted with progressive politicians,” he added.

“He conducted personnel appointments prioritizing teachers who value Jeon-gyo-jo and signed a business agreement with Governor Kim Kyung-soo, who advocates progressivism,” he claimed. “The residents and education community already perceive him as progressive.”

“There are countless examples proving that Candidate Park is progressive,” he said sharply. “It is petty to cry out for a unified superintendent and demand not to use the term ‘centrist-conservative unified candidate’ just because an unfavorable environment has been created.”

A camp official criticized, “Is Park Jong-hoon a chameleon whose ideology and philosophy change according to convenience? We cannot entrust education to someone with an unclear identity, so he should step down from candidacy and apologize to the residents for his past actions.”

On the 9th, the Busan Election Commission ordered Ha Yun-su, candidate for Busan Superintendent of Education, who used the expression ‘centrist-conservative unified candidate,’ to stop using it, stating it constitutes false information disclosure under Article 250 of the Public Official Election Act.

The Gyeongnam Election Commission was separately reviewing the matter from the Busan Election Commission, but the possibility of using the expression ‘centrist-conservative unified candidate’ will be decided by the court’s judgment following Park Jong-hoon’s injunction request.

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