Sungki Kwon, Preliminary Candidate for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education: "Let's Wear 'Comfortable Uniforms' Instead of Uncomfortable Formal Attire"

Pledge to Introduce "Autonomous School Uniforms" at Middle and High Schools
Diversifying Designs with Hoodies, Shorts, and More

There is growing interest in whether students at middle and high schools in Gyeongsangnam-do will soon be seen coming to school in hoodies or sweatshirts instead of tight-fitting shirts and jackets.

On March 15, Sungki Kwon, Preliminary Candidate for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education, announced in a press release that the introduction of "autonomous school uniforms" to guarantee students' right to learn and strengthen their autonomy would be a core pledge of his campaign.

Sungki Kwon, Preliminary Candidate for Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education Office.

Recently, the Ministry of Education has also been pushing to abolish expensive but uncomfortable formal uniforms, which are rarely worn, and to switch to practical uniforms and sportswear.

Against this backdrop, Candidate Kwon has also expressed his intention to break away from the conventional formal uniform model and to actively incorporate students' opinions by adopting highly functional clothing as school uniforms.

The core of Kwon’s proposed "autonomous school uniforms" is convenience and autonomy. He said, "There has been much criticism that the existing formal uniforms lack elasticity and are difficult to maintain, which decreases students’ ability to concentrate on their studies." He added, "We will build a pool of designs preferred by students, such as hoodies, baseball jackets, and shorts, and provide them as options."

Of particular note is the democratic process for selecting the uniforms. Candidate Kwon emphasized, "We will activate a 'Uniform Selection Committee' that includes students, parents, and teachers, and support an online voting system so that the educational stakeholders can directly choose the designs and materials." This approach aims to position the selection of school uniforms as part of the "education in democracy" process.

Additionally, he plans to promote designs in the form of "school goods" that incorporate school logos, thereby boosting students' sense of belonging while making the uniforms suitable for everyday wear and improving cost-effectiveness.

Furthermore, by utilizing distinctive school colors or detachable badges, measures will be taken to identify students by school while still maintaining a sense of belonging.

Regarding concerns about potential side effects of changing uniform policies, he stated that simple designs would be adopted to encourage participation from small local businesses in production.

He also announced plans to allow a two to three-year transition period for companies to clear their existing inventory, during which both formal and practical uniforms may be used.

Kwon said, "By eliminating unnecessary costs and using practical materials for school uniforms, we can substantially reduce the financial burden on parents. We will continue to develop policies that reflect feedback from the field so that students can enjoy school life even more."

Meanwhile, an analysis of the "2026 New Student Uniform (Everyday Wear) Support Bid Status" by the Gyeongnam Office of Education showed that 90.7% (440 schools) of the 485 middle and high schools in Gyeongsangnam-do require uniforms.

The average successful bid price for uniforms was approximately 268,892 won, with the highest price at Jinju A Girls’ High School at 382,000 won and the lowest at Gimhae B Middle School at 140,000 won.

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