The progressive and conservative single candidates for the Seoul Superintendent of Education election, Jeong Keun-sik and Yoon Ho-sang, said they will run a "policy-focused" campaign without slandering each other.
Jeong and Yoon released a joint declaration containing this commitment on Thursday. "The Seoul Superintendent of Education election should not be an election of conflict and slander, but a policy election in which the future of education is responsibly discussed before the students, parents, teachers, and citizens of Seoul," they said. "We will not engage in malicious attacks such as personal attacks, the spread of false information, or smear campaigns."
They added, "We will comply with the law and conduct a transparent and responsible campaign," and emphasized, "We will not incite conflict and division between candidates and supporters, and will approach the campaign with an attitude that considers the integration and stability of Seoul's education even after the election." The two candidates also formed a consensus on the need to support student health and reduce private education expenses, and agreed to seek measures to strengthen related policies.
Jeong was elected as the single candidate of the progressive camp through a citizens' vote by the "2026 Seoul Democratic Progressive Superintendent of Education Unification Promotion Committee," while Yoon was elected as the single candidate of the conservative camp through a primary held by the "Seoul Good Superintendent of Education Candidate Recommendation Citizens' Council." However, with other contenders refusing to accept the primary results and declaring independent candidacies one after another, a total of eight candidates are now crowding the Seoul Superintendent of Education race.
In this context, Jeong and Yoon have repeatedly emphasized that they are the single candidates with legitimacy in their respective camps. "The joint declaration is a promise made before citizens by the two single candidates from the democratic progressive camp and the conservative camp, who pledge to take responsibility for the future of Seoul's education," Jeong said. "Even though the candidates were determined through primaries, refusing to accept the results or denying the election itself is a serious warning sign for democracy, and I believe we must join forces with candidate Yoon to overcome this chaotic situation." Yoon said, "If this continues, the very existence of the superintendent election system itself could be put at risk."
