Jang Seok-woong, Jeonnam Education Superintendent Candidate, Strongly Criticizes Kim Dae-jung's Pledge

by Lee Jungkyung

Published 21 Apr.2022 13:49(KST)

Updated 16 Aug.2025 16:42(KST)

Candidate Jang Seok-ung Claims "Introducing Basic Income for Jeonnam Education Is Unrealistic"

Jang Seok-woong, Preliminary Candidate for Jeonnam Superintendent of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Jang Seok-woong, a preliminary candidate for Jeonnam Superintendent of Education, sharply criticized Kim Dae-jung, another preliminary candidate, on the 21st, calling Kim's pledge to introduce a 'basic income for Jeonnam education' a completely unrealistic 'empty promise.'

Kim Dae-jung announced his pledge on the 18th through a press release titled 'Introduction of Basic Income for Jeonnam Education,' stating, "To guarantee the practical basic rights of students and parents, we will provide 200,000 KRW per student per month, totaling 2.4 million KRW annually, starting with regions facing extinction risks and gradually expanding."

In response, Jang issued a press release on the same day, asserting, "Kim Dae-jung's plan to provide a basic income of 200,000 KRW per student per month, totaling 2.4 million KRW annually for Jeonnam education, is impossible in reality."

Jang pointed out, "The local extinction response fund cannot be used for cash support such as personnel expenses or consumable costs, so proposing to use this fund to provide students with a basic income of 200,000 KRW per month is close to ignorance."

He continued, "Even if the entire local extinction response fund allocated to Jeonnam is invested in the Jeonnam education basic income, it is impossible to pay 200,000 KRW per student per month. The local extinction response fund scheduled for Jeonnam is 37.8 billion KRW in 2022 and 50.5 billion KRW in 2023, but with approximately 183,000 elementary, middle, and high school students, it would require a budget of 440 billion KRW to provide the basic income," he rebutted.

This is the first time that Jang, who holds the incumbent premium, has criticized Kim, and this criticism appears to ignite a full-fledged debate between the two preliminary candidates.