Sungki Kwon, Gyeongnam Superintendent Candidate, Aims to Restore the Essence of Education by Enhancing Teacher Expertise and Providing Rest

Sungki Kwon, a preliminary candidate for Superintendent of Education of Gyeongnam Province, has announced a groundbreaking AI pledge aimed at solving long-standing challenges in the field of education such as "administrative work overload" and "complaints-related stress."

His plan is to implement artificial intelligence (AI) technology in administrative processes and complaint management, allowing teachers to fully focus on teaching and student guidance.

Kwon Sungki, candidate for Superintendent of Education in Gyeongnam Province. [Photo by Kwon Sungki]

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On April 29, Kwon released a press statement outlining his field-oriented education innovation pledges, which include: the expansion of an AI-based administrative work automation system, the introduction of an AI-based complaints response system, and the distribution of "teacher growth vouchers."

Kwon’s proposal for the full-scale adoption of an "AI-based administrative work automation system" aims to resolve excessive administrative work-which is currently the main factor lowering job satisfaction among teachers-using digital technology.

According to his key plan, the "Gyeongnam-style Smart Work Support Platform" will feature automatic classification and distribution of official documents, automated business trip planning and report writing, and an auto-insertion function for schedules and participant lists within event plans.

Kwon anticipates that, once this system is established, the administrative time spent per teacher will be reduced by 30 to 40 percent compared to current levels.

Additionally, he plans to create an "Administrative Public Support Team" at each local education support office, which will directly handle repetitive surveys and data compilation for schools, thereby eliminating the burden of such work from school sites altogether.

The channels for communication with parents will also undergo innovation. Kwon announced that an "AI-based complaints response system" will be established, enabling an AI chatbot to respond 24/7 to routine and repetitive inquiries such as academic schedules, admission and transfer procedures, and certificate issuance.

Notably, this system will allow AI to initially buffer issues involving emotionally charged or complex complaints and then automatically categorize and route them to the appropriate staff member.

Through this approach, the aim is to reduce the frequency with which teachers are directly exposed to malicious complaints, while also providing parents with access to necessary information anytime and anywhere-achieving both goals simultaneously.

As another pillar for restoring teacher authority, a "teacher growth voucher" system will also be introduced to support professional development. Under this program, all 33,000 employees of the Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education will receive annual vouchers worth between 300,000 and 500,000 won.

These vouchers can be used at the teacher’s discretion for areas directly related to professional capacity building, such as obtaining certifications, language learning, purchasing educational books, and participating in academic seminars.

The plan is to convert the existing rigid training budget into a voucher system to improve administrative efficiency and promote self-directed growth among teachers.

Kwon stated, "By actively introducing AI technology to maximize administrative efficiency and providing teachers with opportunities to enhance their expertise and rest, we will fundamentally raise the quality of education. The goal of this pledge is to restore the essence of education by reclaiming time for teachers and students to engage face-to-face."

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