Conservatives, liberals share spoils in educational superintendent elections

Cho Hee-yeon bows to his supporters gathered at his election camp office in Seoul's Seodaemun District, after he won the city's superintendent post in the local elections on June 1. Yonhap

By Ko Dong-hwan

Yim Tae-hee is greeted by supporters at his election camp in Suwon after his victory in Gyeonggi superintendent post was confirmed in the local elections on June 1. Joint Press Corps.

Conservatives and liberals shared 17 superintendent posts between them across the country in the local elections held Wednesday.

With liberal-minded Cho Hee-yeon successfully clinching his third term in a row as the educational chief of Seoul, other left-wing candidates have won their races in nine constituencies, including the cities of Incheon, Gwangju, Ulsan and Sejong, as well as in the provinces of South Chungcheong, North Jeolla, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang.

Conservative candidates secured eight spots in the cities of Daegu, Daejeon and Busan, as well as the provinces of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, North Chungcheong, North Gyeongsang and Jeju.

Seol Dong-ho, who won the election for the Daejeon superintendent post, has added a third term in a row to his career.

Conservative candidates in this year's election grabbed more posts than four years ago when liberal candidates dominated the election claiming 14 posts. Liberal candidates had also won 13 posts in 2014.

Thirteen candidates in Wednesday's election were incumbent superintendents, 10 of whom have successfully extended their tenures. In the 2018 local elections, 12 candidates were then-incumbent superintendents looking for reelection and all 12 managed to achieve it once more.

The elections have shown the implications of how a united candidacy can play a pivotal role. In Seoul, besides Cho who received 38.1 percent of the votes, conservative or centrist candidates Cho Jeon-hyeok, Park Seon-young and Cho Young-dal each accrued 23.5 percent, 23.1 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively. The three candidates who lost in the Seoul election had unsuccessfully attempted to form an alliance against Cho Hi-yeon.

Conservative and centrist candidates in South Chungcheong and Sejong also failed to form a united candidacy, thereby allowing liberals Kim Ji-cheol and Choi Kyo-jin to achieve victory in South Chungcheong and Sejong, respectively.

Yun Keon-young, after successfully forming a united candidacy with conservative candidates, has clinched the superintendent post in North Chungcheong. The province's educational board has been governed by a liberal chief for the past eight years.