Three Progressive Candidates Shortlisted for Seoul Education Superintendent... Gwak Nohyeon Eliminated

Kang Sinman, Jeong Geunsik, Hong Jenam Shortlisted... Gwak Nohyeon, Ahn Seungmun Eliminated

The progressive unified candidate challenging in the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education by-election scheduled for the 16th of next month has been narrowed down to three: former Vice Chairman of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union Kang Shin-man, Seoul National University Professor Emeritus Jeong Geun-sik, and former principal of Oryu Middle School Hong Je-nam.

Promotional material for the Seoul Superintendent of Education by-election posted on the subway platform. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The '2024 Seoul Democratic Progressive Superintendent Promotion Committee' (Promotion Committee), the progressive candidate unification organization, announced the final results of the first round of voting by promotion committee members on the 22nd. The voting rankings were not disclosed. The Promotion Committee received mobile and on-site votes over two days starting the previous day from promotion committee members composed of Seoul citizens aged 14 and older.

Out of 7,437 Seoul citizens aged 14 and older, excluding duplicate participation by Seoul-based workers, 5,311 voted, resulting in a final turnout rate of 71.41%. Approximately 9,100 people participated as promotion committee members.

Previously, five candidates participated in the unified candidate primary hosted by the Promotion Committee: former Vice Chairman Kang, former Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Kwak No-hyun, former Seoul Metropolitan Education Commissioner Ahn Seung-moon, Professor Jeong, and former Principal Hong. Among them, former Superintendent Kwak and former Commissioner Ahn were eliminated in the first round.

The Promotion Committee will conduct a second public opinion poll on the three candidates from the 24th to the 25th. Afterwards, the results of the first promotion committee vote and the second public opinion poll will be combined 50-50 to select the final unified candidate.

Meanwhile, the conservative camp’s unification organization, the 'Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Moderate Right-Wing Candidate Unification Integration Countermeasures Committee' (Integration Committee), also completed its public opinion poll on the 21st. The Integration Committee plans to announce the final results at 11 a.m. on the 25th.

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