Sixty Masters of the Korea Arts Masters Federation Declare Support for Gyeonggi Superintendent Candidate An Minseok

Sixty masters from the Korea Arts Masters Federation have declared their support for An Minseok, a preliminary candidate for Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education, expressing their agreement with his educational philosophy of providing cultural citizenship education for elementary, middle, and high school students in Gyeonggi Province.

Sixty masters from the Korea Arts Masters Federation have declared their support for An Minseok, the preliminary candidate for Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education. Photo provided by candidate An Minseok

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Representing the Korea Arts Masters Federation, ten masters including Chairman Kim Gilsoo visited the campaign office of An Minseok, the preliminary candidate for Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education, on March 13. During the visit, they exchanged views on the current state of traditional arts and the direction of cultural arts education, explaining that their support was based on the need to further expand the role of culture and the arts in Gyeonggi education.

In their declaration of support, the masters stated, "Candidate An Minseok possesses a clear educational philosophy and a strong willingness to implement cultural citizenship education for elementary, middle, and high school students in Gyeonggi Province. As individuals who have devoted our lives to traditional arts, we support a candidate who upholds such a philosophy."

They added, "We hope that traditional arts will be preserved and further developed, and we wish for continuous contributions to the advancement of arts and culture in Gyeonggi Province. We trust Candidate An Minseok, who demonstrates a warm perspective towards people and the determination to keep his promises."

They also stated, "We look forward to the new vision for Gyeonggi education that An Minseok aspires to realize. The masters of the Korea Arts Masters Federation will join the process of leading cultural and arts education in Gyeonggi Province through the power of arts and culture that brings happiness to everyone."

During the meeting, preliminary candidate An Minseok said, "Traditional crafts and the arts are fields that cannot be replaced even in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), as they embody the work of human hands and spirit. It is essential to strengthen arts and culture education so that the values of tradition and craftsmanship are sustained within education."

He continued, "Schools must offer cultural education where tradition and modernity coexist and thrive. I will shape the direction of Gyeonggi education so that students can develop sensitivity and creativity through culture and the arts, growing into culturally-minded citizens."

Among those who visited the office that day were Kim Gilsoo, master of Najeonchilgi (mother-of-pearl lacquerware) and Ottchil (lacquerware) and Chairman of the Korea Arts Masters Federation; Kim Eunkyung, master of Preservation Painting and Najeon (Senior Vice Chairman); Lee Mihye, master of Traditional Embroidery; Park Mansik, master of Stone Sculpture; Park Minsu, master of Traditional Woodcarving; Jang Dohun, master of Brassware Applications; Jang Jaemyoung, master of Traditional Woodcarving; Choi Jion, master of Contemporary Woodcarving; Kwon Taeyoung, master of Ceramics; and Jung Misook, master of Pressed Flower Art, among others.

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