Jung leads with 33.37 percent of the vote against runner-up Cho Jeon-hyeok's 21.26 percent as of 4 a.m. Thursday

Seoul superintendent candidate Jung Keun-sik speaks at his campaign office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Thursday as his victory appeared increasingly certain. [Jung Keun-sik campaign]
Seoul superintendent candidate Jung Keun-sik speaks at his campaign office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Thursday as his victory appeared increasingly certain. [Jung Keun-sik campaign]

By Kim Yong-jae, The Herald Business

Jung Keun-sik is on course to win the Seoul superintendent race, one of 16 city and provincial education chief elections held Wednesday across the country. If confirmed, his victory would give progressive candidates five consecutive wins in the Seoul race dating back to 2014.

With 57.91 percent of ballots counted as of 4 a.m. Thursday, Jung led with 33.37 percent of the vote, or 965,576 ballots, putting him 12.11 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, conservative candidate Cho Jeon-hyeok, who stood at 21.26 percent with 615,354 votes. Another conservative candidate, Yun Ho-sang, was in third place with 13.65 percent, or 395,225 votes.

Jung had been projected to win 39 percent of the vote in an exit poll released by three major broadcast networks immediately after polls closed, and he held first place throughout the count.

Speaking at his campaign office in Gyeongwoon-dong, Jongno-gu, as victory appeared within reach, Jung said he would "continue the changes in Seoul education without stopping, and carry them forward more stably." He added that he would build "schools where learning is a joy, schools where students respect one another, and a Seoul education that teaches the values of democracy and coexistence."

Throughout the campaign, Jung maintained a consistent lead in polling, buoyed by the name recognition that comes with incumbency and strong organizational support within the progressive camp.

Should his win be confirmed, it will mark five straight victories for progressive candidates in the Seoul superintendent race — following former Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon's three consecutive terms from 2014, and progressive wins in both the 2024 by-election and this election.

This year's Seoul superintendent race drew eight candidates, the most since the direct election system was introduced.

Jung, a former Seoul National University professor, was the unified candidate backed by the 2026 Seoul Democratic Progressive Superintendent Unification Committee. He previously served as a member of the Truth Commission on Pro-Japanese Collaborators under the Roh Moo-hyun administration.


brunch@heraldcorp.com