Aging candidate pool in superintendent race raises concerns over lack of younger leadership

Election officials enter a registration site for preliminary candidates in Gwangju ahead of the June 3 local elections, Feb. 3. Newsis

With the June 3 local elections nearing, the superintendent race is drawing concern for its aging candidate pool, with most contenders aged 60 or older.

A total of 75 candidates had registered for superintendent races nationwide as of Friday, with an average age of 63. By age group, those in their 60s accounted for the majority with 53 candidates, or 70.7 percent, followed by 16 candidates in their 50s at 21.3 percent, and six in their 70s at 8 percent.

The youngest candidates are two contenders in the Sejong superintendent race, both aged 50, while the oldest candidate, running in Daegu, is 74.

In Daegu, Daejeon, Ulsan and South Chungcheong Province, the average age of superintendent candidates exceeded 65 — the typical threshold for senior citizen status. Among them, Daegu recorded the highest average at 68.

In South Chungcheong Province, two candidates in their 70s have registered. All regions nationwide except Busan, Sejong and Jeju saw average candidate ages in the 60s.

Compared with other local elections, including races for mayors and governors, the aging candidate pool is more pronounced in superintendent contests.

The average age of preliminary candidates in the 17 mayoral and gubernatorial races nationwide stands at 59.4, about 3.6 years younger than that of superintendent candidates. Notably, those races include contenders in their 20s and 30s, highlighting a generational gap absent in the superintendent field.

The youngest candidate in the local election is a 29-year-old running in the Daejeon mayoral race, and other contenders in their 30s have also entered the mayoral races in Busan and Sejong.

Structural barriers continue to limit younger candidates, as superintendent races require contenders to raise campaign funds independently without party backing. Candidates are also required to have at least three years of experience in education or educational administration, making it difficult for younger generations to enter the race.

In particular, younger professionals in the education sector face practical challenges in securing the financial resources needed to run a campaign.

While years of experience may help candidates to broadly navigate issues across kindergarten, elementary and secondary education, concerns remain that it could hinder their ability to respond swiftly to a rapidly changing educational landscape.

The debate over integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into classrooms underscores the issue. Although AI-powered digital textbooks were slated for introduction last year, the initiative lost momentum after they were not designated as official materials, leaving adoption up to individual schools.

There are concerns that such cautious approaches toward new initiatives have continued, potentially limiting the system’s ability to keep pace with rapid changes.