Incumbent Gyeonggi Provincial Superintendent of Education Im Tae-hee and unified liberal candidate Ahn Min-seok will compete in the upcoming election on June 3, 2026 [1].
The contest represents a high-stakes ideological battle for the direction of education in South Korea's most populous province. The result will determine whether the region continues a shift toward conservative educational policies or returns to a liberal-led framework.
Im Tae-hee, a former three-term lawmaker [1], is running on a platform of "depoliticizing" education. He previously won the 2022 election, ending a 14-year period of dominance by liberal candidates [1].
"Politics should not enter education," Im said. "Now, the depoliticization of Gyeonggi education must be completely finalized."
Im also proposed a significant shift in how students are evaluated for higher education. He said the university entrance exam system must transition to a system centered on absolute evaluation [1].
Ahn Min-seok, a former five-term lawmaker [2], has emerged as the unified candidate for the democratic and progressive camps. His campaign focuses on a broad mandate for systemic change within the province's schools.
"I will achieve education reform in Gyeonggi Province," Ahn said [3].
The two candidates offer contrasting philosophies on the role of the state and politics in the classroom. While Im seeks to remove political influence from the administrative side of schooling, Ahn advocates for a reformist approach to modernize the educational infrastructure [4].
This race is particularly significant because of the historical volatility of the superintendent position in Gyeonggi. The province serves as a bellwether for national educational trends, often mirroring the broader political shifts seen in South Korean general elections [1].
“"Politics should not enter education," Im said.”
The Gyeonggi education race serves as a proxy for the broader national struggle between conservative and progressive visions for South Korean youth. Because Im Tae-hee broke a 14-year liberal streak in 2022, this election will determine if that shift was a temporary anomaly or a permanent realignment of the province's educational priorities.
