Kim Sang-kwon vs Park Jong-hoon, Who Should I Entrust My Child To? ... Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education Candidate Endorsement Battle

The Jeongyojo Left-Wing Education Opposition Gyeongnam Education Comrades Group Supporting Candidate Kim Sang-kwon.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] As the official campaign period for the nationwide simultaneous local elections approaches, endorsements for each candidate for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education are pouring in.

On the morning of the 18th, the stairs in front of the main building of the Gyeongnam Office of Education were filled with crowds chanting the name of candidate Kim Sang-kwon.

Identifying themselves as comrades from the Gyeongnam Education Group opposing leftist education by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), they claimed, “The answer to normalizing the crisis-ridden Gyeongnam education is Kim Sang-kwon.”

They stated, “There is a clear rejection from the residents against Superintendent Park Jong-hoon’s third term,” adding, “We have heard many say, ‘He’s done it twice already, why again?’”

They argued, “The fate of children changes through the dedication and passion of educators, but during Park’s tenure as superintendent, he often poured cold water instead of actively supporting educational activities.”

They also added that he divided people with political logic, wasted budgets on showy administrative projects, and blurred the direction of education.

“Special hiring and promotions that deviated from common sense and practice left the majority of educators disheartened,” they said, emphasizing, “We must stop candidate Park Jong-hoon, who turned Gyeongnam education into a political arena and broke his promise not to run for a third term.”

They appealed to voters, saying, “We support candidate Kim Sang-kwon, who promises to normalize Gyeongnam education and brighten the future of our children.”

A gathering of 10,000 parents declaring support for candidate Park Jong-hoon.

Later that afternoon, parents supporting Superintendent candidate Park Jong-hoon gathered at the same location.

They began by saying, “As society rapidly changes due to COVID-19, the future of children can differ greatly depending on who leads Gyeongnam education as superintendent.”

They stressed that a candidate who divides Gyeongnam education by ideology, whether conservative or progressive, must not be elected.

“A candidate with proven competence, who looks only to the children and will lead Gyeongnam education as a pioneer of future education, must be elected,” they added.

A parent representative declared, “The 10,000 parents of Gyeongnam support Superintendent candidate Park Jong-hoon for the future of our children.”

They said, “We support policies that prioritize children’s safety above all, such as safety covers for backpacks, safe umbrellas, and student safety experience centers.”

They explained, “During his tenure as superintendent, candidate Park achieved a pledge fulfillment rate of 98.93% and received the Clean Person Award honoring those who have illuminated Korea in this era.”

They added that he realized extended care hours, reduced private education expenses, free kindergarten education, and established the nation’s first big data artificial intelligence education platform.

They appealed for support, saying, “For the future of our children and Gyeongnam education, please vote for candidate Park Jong-hoon.”

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