Chungbuk education chief candidates trade barbs over resignation calls and political attacks

The race for the Chungbuk Superintendent of Education has intensified as candidates engage in sharp exchanges over alleged violations of political neutrality. Progressive candidate Kim Sung-keun has called for the resignation of incumbent conservative candidate Yoon Geon-young, accusing him of undermining the political neutrality of education.

Kim's campaign stated on Friday that Yoon and another local politician formed a "policy alliance" on May 19, which they claim violates the law on the political neutrality of education. "The law on local education autonomy Article 46 states that candidates should not advocate for or against a specific political party, or claim to be supported by a specific party," Kim's campaign argued. They further contended that withdrawing the policy alliance would not resolve the issue, as potential legal proceedings and the risk of a by-election if Yoon were to win and be disqualified would cause significant problems and waste taxpayer money.

In response, Yoon's campaign expressed regret over what they termed "malicious attempts to tarnish" the election, turning it into a "mud-slinging contest." They stated, "It is regrettable that they are resorting to political attacks instead of being evaluated on policy and vision." Yoon's camp added that Kim should first reflect on issues such as the failure to disclose academic records for elementary, middle, and high school students and alleged photo manipulation. Despite the accusations, Yoon's campaign asserted they would not respond to baseless slander and would instead focus on policy-driven discussions for the election.