Jong-sik Lim, Gyeongbuk Superintendent, Announces Bid for Third Term: "Human-Centered AI Education Transformation"

by Gu Daeseon

Published 27 Apr.2026 15:51(KST)

Jong-sik Lim (70), Superintendent of the Gyeongbuk Office of Education, has announced his bid for a third term in the upcoming local elections to be held on June 3.

At a press conference on the 27th, Superintendent Lim declared his candidacy for the Gyeongsangbuk-do superintendent election, stating, "I am running to complete an even warmer education for Gyeongbuk, building upon the achievements of the past eight years together with the residents, parents, teachers, and students."

Jong-sik Lim, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Office of Education

The core slogan of his campaign is "Opening the Future of Gyeongbuk Education through a Human-Centered AI Education Revolution." Superintendent Lim declared an educational transformation that will turn the crisis of the AI era and declining school-age population into an opportunity, based on the outcomes of the "warm Gyeongbuk education" he has fostered over the past eight years. His vision is to pursue an AI education that puts people, not technology, at the center-ensuring that no child is left behind in Gyeongbuk, and preparing students for the future.

Explaining his reason for seeking a third term, Superintendent Lim emphasized, "Despite our achievements over the past eight years, there are still unfinished tasks, and new challenges such as the decline in the school-age population and the advent of the AI era lie ahead for Gyeongbuk education. These issues cannot be solved with mere declarations or slogans; they require hands-on experience and responsible execution."

He went on to say, "I have devoted 47 years to the field of education in Gyeongbuk, serving as a teacher, vice principal, principal, supervisor, head of the training institute, director of the education policy bureau, and superintendent. The role of superintendent is not about making assertions, but about taking responsibility. With my on-site experience and problem-solving background, I will ensure a sustainable and unwavering future for Gyeongbuk education."

Superintendent Lim added, "A third term as superintendent means I no longer need to be concerned about future elections and can work according to my convictions. All benefits will be returned to the children, and I will find fulfillment solely in completing the vision of a warm Gyeongbuk education."

Superintendent Lim graduated from the Department of Education at Kyungpook National University, served as a teacher and principal at middle and high schools in the Gyeongbuk region, and later held roles as head of faculty at Gyeongbuk Education Training Institute, director of the Teacher Support Division and Education Policy Bureau at the Gyeongbuk Office of Education. He has served as superintendent for eight years since 2018. In January 2025, he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison in the first trial on charges including bribery, but was acquitted on appeal and by the Supreme Court.