Jeong Geun-sik, who won reelection as Seoul Superintendent of Education, placed strengthened cooperation with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon front and center on his first day back in office. His vision is to move beyond ideological conflict and resolve education issues together, including free early childhood education and the normalization of field trips.
Reporting to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Thursday, Jeong met with staff and said, "This is the result of citizens' aspirations that Seoul's education should steadily change and develop without wavering." He added, "I will put into practice the plans I have prepared over the past year and six months to create changes in Seoul's education that citizens can feel."
"Unlike politics, education requires policymaking with a long-term perspective, looking ahead to how children will live 20, 30, or 50 years from now," he stressed. "I will work as a superintendent who listens to the stories of all Seoul citizens without being trapped in factional logic."
Jeong repeatedly mentioned the need for cooperation with Mayor Oh Se-hoon in particular. "Through the election, I felt the need for a channel where mayoral candidates and superintendent candidates can frankly consult on policy," he said. "I will frequently meet with the newly elected mayor and district heads to strengthen policy cooperation."
He continued, "Educational autonomy and political neutrality are important, but cooperation with the Seoul metropolitan government, the central government, and the city council is essential to resolving education issues." He said, "Once Mayor Oh begins his term again, I intend to hold related discussions."
This Seoul superintendent election was held as a multi-candidate race with eight candidates running for the first time since the introduction of the direct election system. Jeong noted that during the election process there were cases where both the progressive and conservative camps did not accept the primary results, saying, "The flower of democracy is the election, and for democracy to continue, one must accept the results." He added, "The victor has a responsibility to embrace the hearts of the defeated and to take in even the voices of the socially disadvantaged and minorities."
For his future priority tasks, he presented guaranteeing basic academic skills, supporting students' mental health, protecting teachers' rights, and closing the education gap. Regarding student mental health issues in particular, he said he would supplement the comprehensive mental health plan announced last year to expand "mental recovery schools" and "mental healing schools," and also strengthen the operation of peer counselors.
Regarding the normalization of field trips, Jeong cited teachers' liability for safety accidents, a shortage of support personnel, administrative burdens, and insufficient budgets as causes of the decline in field trips. "I plan to consult with the Gyeonggi and Incheon superintendents to hold a joint press conference of metropolitan-area superintendents next week and urge a revision of the relevant law," he said.
