44 Former Education Officials Endorse Oh Seokjin for Daejeon Superintendent

"An Education Expert Who Truly Understands the Field Is Needed"

Endorsement of Oh Seokjin, Candidate for Superintendent of Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education (Photo by Mo Seokbong)

Forty-four former heads of affiliated institutions, including former directors of the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, have declared their endorsement for Oh Seokjin, candidate for Superintendent of the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education.

On May 19, they held a press conference in the Daejeon City Council press room, stating, "As the election approaches, some candidates are attempting to exploit the public opinion ratings of certain political parties, thereby undermining the political neutrality of education. Feeling frustrated by these actions, 44 former heads of institutions under the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education have come together to hold this press conference."

It is considered rare for 44 heads from 10 different institutions, including those who served as director or as head of the Education Bureau, head of the Daejeon Early Childhood Education Promotion Institute, and other executive positions at the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, to gather in one place.

Choi Jindong, former Chair of the Education Committee of the Daejeon City Council and former Director of the Daejeon Institute of Education and Science, emphasized in the endorsement statement, "Education now stands at a crossroads where it must go beyond the mere transmission of knowledge and cultivate innovative capabilities to lead future society."

He stated, "The 44 of us have come together to support Oh Seokjin, who is the most qualified to take responsibility for the future of education in Daejeon: an education expert who deeply understands the field, an inclusive leader, an education administrator who has driven change through action rather than words, and a candidate whose moral integrity, honesty, and clear convictions and philosophy regarding fairness and justice are outstanding."

The 44 retired officials declaring their support after meeting for the first time since retirement include 8 former education directors as well as former heads of the Education Bureau, Planning Bureau, Administration Bureau, Daejeon Early Childhood Education Promotion Institute, Daejeon Institute of Education and Science, Daejeon Education Training Institute, Daejeon Education Information Institute, Daejeon Lifelong Learning Center, and Hanbat Education Museum.

Meanwhile, Oh Seokjin is a political newcomer who left the teaching profession after 40 years, having served as a teacher, vice principal, principal, supervisor, director, head of the Korean Education Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and finally as Director of the Education Bureau at the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education. He worked at general middle and high schools (Hoeduk Middle School, Songchon Middle School, Songchon High School, Goejeong High School), a special-purpose high school (Daejeon Science High School), and a specialized high school (Chungnam Mechanical Technical High School).

Oh has co-authored certified English textbooks for grades 1, 2, and 3 in middle school, publishing a total of 13 English educational books. He is currently a professor of external cooperation at Pai Chai University and serves as the representative of the Happy Education Connection Community, a non-profit organization.

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