Jang Gwan-ho Launches Bid for Unified Jeonnam-Gwangju Superintendent, Pledging 'Great Educational Transformation'

Jang Gwan-ho, a prospective candidate for the unified Jeonnam-Gwangju Superintendent of Education, announced his bid on the 19th, unveiling plans for fundamental reform of the education system. Following his nomination as the sole candidate for a democratic progressive superintendent by Jeonnam civic groups and the Jeonnam Citizen Nomination Committee, Candidate Jang held a press conference at the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education briefing room to declare his candidacy. He pledged to push for an educational system transition that connects Jeonnam and Gwangju.

He pointed to complex challenges facing education in Gwangju and Jeonnam, including school violence, declining basic academic proficiency, and growing reliance on private tutoring, asserting that he would take responsibility for a fundamental redesign and systemic overhaul of education, rather than mere incremental improvements.

Candidate Jang outlined five key visions: education prioritizing character and competence, establishing an educational ecosystem where schools and communities collaborate, ensuring clean and transparent educational administration, realizing cooperative educational governance, and building an integrated education model that leverages the strengths of Gwangju and Jeonnam.

Kim Yang-im, Standing Representative of the Democratic Progressive Superintendent Jeonnam Citizen Nomination Committee, expressed her support, stating that Candidate Jang is a candidate who understands the field and can practice democratic progressive educational values. She anticipates he will lead the great educational transformation with leadership of integration and responsibility, rather than conflict.