Ahn Min-seok, a preliminary candidate, has been selected as the liberal camp's unified candidate for Gyeonggi Province education superintendent in the June 3 local elections.
The Gyeonggi Education Innovation Alliance held a press conference at the Gyeonggi Provincial Council on Tuesday to announce the results of the unification process.
The alliance confirmed Ahn as the unified candidate by combining opinion poll results, which accounted for 45 percent, with electoral college voting results, which made up the remaining 55 percent.
The opinion poll surveyed 1,000 Gyeonggi residents from the 18th to the 20th of this month, while the electoral college vote was conducted over three days, from the 19th through the previous day, among voters who had previously registered as members of the electoral college.
Ahn narrowly defeated Yoo Eun-hae in a close contest in both the opinion poll and the electoral college vote, according to sources.
"My victory is not a personal one, but reflects the aspirations of the people and Gyeonggi residents who long for change and reform in education in Gyeonggi Province and the Republic of Korea," Ahn said immediately after being selected as the unified candidate. "I will stand at the forefront as a tool for education reform, with a vision not just for the next four years but for at least the next decade of educational reform."
"The three candidates who competed alongside me and the member organizations of the Gyeonggi Education Innovation Alliance will form a one-team melting-pot campaign committee to once again usher in an era of progressive education together," Ahn added.
Ahn holds a Ph.D. in education and served as a teacher and professor before being elected to the National Assembly from Osan, where he served five consecutive terms starting from the 17th general election.
The unification process involved four candidates: Ahn, Park Hyo-jin, Sung Ki-sun and Yoo Eun-hae.
