The race for Seoul education chief is a mess

Most of all, aspiring candidates must go through self-reflection and ask themselves if they are truly fit for the job.

People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon lambasted at Kwak No-hyun, a former superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education ousted on bribery charges in 2012, for rebidding for the post that has become available through a by-election in October after the exit of three-term superintendent Cho Hee-yeon whose prison term for power abuse was confirmed in the Supreme Court last month. Kwak’s return can be the “worst possible scenario for the education,” Han said. PPP floor-leader Choo Kyung-ho joined the chorus, calling Kwak “the king of shame.”

Kwak was removed from office upon being found guilty of bribing an opponent to give up the race in 2010. Although he is eligible to run in the election through his reinstatement, his criminal record remains valid and places him as a poor example before children on the values of honesty and fairness that make up the foundation of democracy. He has yet to return the 3 billion won ($2.2 million) of the state election subsidy due to the nullification of his win.

Kwak is not the only sad candidate on the list. Cho Jun-hyuk, a former conservative lawmaker bidding for the education chief title for the third time, had been fined twice for violating the Election Act and the Local Education Autonomy Act. Kim Kyung-beom, a Seoul National University professor from the progressive front, is liable for leaking the revision outline for the 2028 college entrance exam. We wonder how such dishonest candidates continue to vie for the title responsible for the education of 830,000 students in Seoul.

Parties cannot nominate their candidates to run in the election of education chiefs. The provision has been made to stave political influence off public education, yet candidates unabashedly compete in their political color. They chant political slogans instead of presenting their visions for education. In declaring his bid, Kwak vowed to fight to “impeach education policies and political prosecutors.”

As candidates don’t go through the screening and nomination process, they swarm the race. The upcoming by-election drew 15, and only one has bowed out. Criminal records and eligibility cannot be scrutinized. The vote draws little interest as voters can’t tell who’s who. That’s why many voters question the use of the elections to pick education superintendents which cost nearly 60 billion won of tax funds. An election system can’t be abolished just because candidates aren’t up to the standard. Still, options should be studied to correct the obvious and repeated problems. Some suggest that political parties nominate the candidates or name them as running mates for the candidates for local government chiefs. Most of all, aspiring candidates must go through self-reflection and ask themselves if they are truly fit for the job.