Kim Sangkwon, Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education Pre-Candidate, Withdraws a Day Before Registration ... "Ending My Candidacy"

Kim Sangkwon, a pre-candidate for Superintendent of Education of Gyeongnam from the conservative and centrist bloc for the 9th nationwide local elections, announced his withdrawal on the 13th, one day before the official candidate registration date.

On this day, Kim expressed his intention to withdraw through a position statement and a post on social networking services (SNS), stating, "I wanted to see this through to the end, but I have decided to stop here."

Statement of withdrawal by Sangkwon Kim, preliminary candidate for the Governor of Gyeongnam Office of Education.
[Photo by Sangkwon Kim Election Office and captured from Sangkwon Kim's social media]

He added, "The support and encouragement I received during the superintendent election four years ago still remain deep in my heart," and continued, "After much deliberation, I decided to run out of a desperate sense that I could no longer turn a blind eye to the instability in Gyeongnam education."

He went on to say, "This election process has been an extremely challenging time," and added, "The relentless pressure for a single candidacy, the stories that diverged from the facts, and the various situations that made it difficult to continue the campaign all left deep scars on me, not just as a candidate, but as an educator."

He further explained the background of his withdrawal, saying, "What was most difficult was witnessing even my supporters waver amidst conflict and confusion."

Kim stated, "Under the current circumstances, I could not help but deeply contemplate whether it is truly the right path for someone who has spoken for education on behalf of the conservative and centrist bloc of Gyeongnam to push through with the campaign until the end," and added, "I have reached the conclusion that I cannot ignore the demands greater than my own personal will."

He also said, "Although my journey as a candidate ends here, I do not set aside my concern for Gyeongnam education as an educator," and added, "I will continue to quietly fulfill my role as an educator so that our children can learn and grow in a better environment."

With Kim's withdrawal, the race for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education has become a five-way contest, with Kwon Soonki and Kim Seungo representing the conservative and centrist bloc, Song Younggi and Kim Junsik from the progressive bloc, and Oh Intae running independently.

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