Song Yeong-gi Urges Strengthening of Democratic Citizenship Education, Inheriting April 19 Spirit

Song Yeong-gi, a preliminary candidate for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education, called for the strengthening of democratic citizenship education to mark the 66th anniversary of the April 19 Revolution. Recalling the historical significance of the April 19 Revolution in 1960, Song emphasized the need to redefine the direction of education by highlighting the spirit of resistance by citizens against dictatorial power and Gyeongnam's role.

He recalled that the discovery of activist Kim Ju-yeol's body off the coast of Masan was the trigger that ignited public outrage. He interpreted the reason students did not back down in the face of gunfire as a result of education, stressing that it was conscience, the ability to discern right from wrong and speak out, not grand ideology, that moved the students of that era, and this was a strength cultivated in the classroom. Education, he added, was the foundation that sustained society.

Song expressed concern about the current state of education. He diagnosed that the foundation of democracy is weakening within a structure that demands answers rather than questions and pushes individuals into competition rather than cooperation. Pointing out that hateful and exclusionary language, widespread throughout society, is seeping into schools, he stated that democracy itself could be shaken if education that respects diversity and teaches coexistence disappears.

He argued that democracy is a value maintained through continuous learning and practice, and education must play a central role in this. As a new direction for Gyeongnam's education, he proposed a comprehensive strengthening of constitutional education and democratic citizenship education. He revealed plans to systematically incorporate the value of human rights, disability understanding, gender equality, and labor into the entire curriculum. He emphasized that through historical education involving direct walking and experiencing the sites of the April 19 Revolution, students would come to accept democracy not merely as knowledge but as a matter of life.

In conclusion, Song reiterated that students protected democracy 66 years ago and that it is now time for education to inherit that role. He made his resolve clear, stating, "For that day's sacrifice not to remain a mere commemoration, today's classrooms must change. Gyeongnam's education must be reborn as a space that practices the values of democracy."