Jeong Geunsik Confirmed as Unified Progressive Candidate for Seoul Superintendent of Education... One Step Closer to Reelection (Update)

Jeong Geunsik has been confirmed as the unified progressive candidate for the Seoul Superintendent of Education election, which will be held as part of the June 3 local elections.

Geun-sik Jeong, preliminary candidate for Seoul Superintendent of Education. Photo by Jo Yongjun

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The "2026 Seoul Democratic and Progressive Superintendent Unification Promotion Committee" (the Promotion Committee), which is the unification body of the progressive camp for the Seoul Superintendent of Education, announced on the 23rd that Jeong was selected as the final unified candidate based on the results of the first round of voting by the citizens’ participation group.

The primary included candidates Kang Minjung, Kang Shinman, Kim Hyuncheol, Lee Euljae, Jeong Geunsik, and Han Manjung.

Contrary to expectations that a runoff vote might be necessary on April 27-28 due to the possibility of no candidate winning a majority, Jeong secured more than 50% of the votes in the two-day voting period that began the previous day, allowing him to advance directly as the unified candidate.

A total of 28,516 people, including 1,318 youths, participated in the citizens’ group, with 17,599 casting votes, resulting in a turnout of 61.6%.

Having served as Seoul Superintendent of Education for 1 year and 6 months since October 2024, Jeong has now taken another step toward reelection with this result.

Jeong, a former professor in the Department of Sociology at Seoul National University, previously served as Chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission during the Moon Jae-in administration. When his close associate, former Seoul Superintendent of Education Cho Hee-yeon, lost his position, Jeong ran in the by-election and was elected Seoul Superintendent of Education.

His key pledges include complete free early childhood education, full support for transportation costs for elementary, middle, and high school students, 100% free experiential learning fees for elementary and middle school students, the phased expansion of the two-teacher system per classroom, and the expansion of written and essay-type assessments.

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