Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education Park Jong-hoon Challenges Provincial Council ... "No Compromise on Children's Future and Education"

Criticism of the Abolition of the Village Education Community Ordinance and Budget Cuts

Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Education of Gyeongnam, criticized the Gyeongnam Provincial Council for abolishing the ordinance supporting the revitalization of the Gyeongnam Village Education Community and cutting the related budget in full.

On the 16th, Superintendent Park held a press conference at the provincial education office briefing room and pointed out, “The Provincial Council reviewed and approved the 2025 Gyeongsangnam-do Special Account for Education Budget, cutting the entire budget for the Future Education District and slashing 70% of the budget for the Arts Instructor Support Project. This is tantamount to abolishing the projects themselves.”

He added, “Due to the budget cuts, educational activities that were taking place in 274 schools and 262 village learning centers have come to a halt. Without the ordinance and budget, how can these projects possibly continue?”

Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Education of Gyeongnam Province, is expressing his position on the budget cuts related to the abolished Village Education Community Support Ordinance. Photo by Lee Se-ryeong

Superintendent Park said, “When the ordinance was abolished and the Future Education District budget was partially reduced by the Council’s Education Committee, we were only preparing to file a lawsuit with the Supreme Court. But after seeing the Budget and Accounts Committee completely eliminate the remaining budget, I resolved to file the lawsuit.”

“Seeing the budget cuts with no minimum educational consideration, we had no choice but to request the Supreme Court’s judgment on the reapproval of the ordinance abolishing the Village Education Community Support Ordinance decided by the Provincial Council,” he added.

He further criticized the Provincial Council, saying, “Abolishing the ordinance seriously infringes on students’ right to pursue happiness and their right to learn, and the council has exceeded its discretionary authority.”

He also raised the level of criticism, stating, “Factional interests or political emotions must not block the future of children or ruin the future of Gyeongnam. This is the worst kind of political bias.”

Superintendent Park said, “The council’s decision appears to have been made unilaterally and emotionally without consideration for children’s education and future. Although there will likely be many disputes with the Provincial Council regarding children’s future and education, I will not compromise.”

He added, “I will stand firmly against the Provincial Council on wrong decisions and will not neglect any of my given responsibilities.”

Earlier, the provincial education office filed a lawsuit and requested a suspension of execution at the Supreme Court to confirm the invalidity of the reapproval of the ordinance supporting the revitalization of the Village Education Community, which was ultimately abolished due to political bias and poor management despite the superintendent’s request for reconsideration.

Superintendent Park plans to ask local education directors and principals of each school to use school operating funds so that village learning centers can continue to operate if the provisional injunction to suspend the execution of the ordinance abolition requested at the Supreme Court is granted.

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