Safety and academic recovery top priorities as Do vows to lead future-ready education with student-centered vision
Do Seong-hun has secured election as the 9th superintendent of the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education, marking his third consecutive term in the role.
The victory makes Do the first superintendent in Incheon's education history to win three consecutive terms.
With vote counting completed Thursday for the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, Do received 542,849 votes, or 36.35 percent of the total, to claim the superintendent's seat.
His closest rival, Lee Dae-hyeong, tallied 531,629 votes (35.59 percent), while Im Byeong-gu received 418,910 votes (28.05 percent).
In his victory statement, Do extended thanks to his opponents. "I offer words of comfort and gratitude to candidates Lee Dae-hyeong and Im Byeong-gu, who competed fiercely and thought deeply about the advancement of Incheon education throughout the campaign," he said. "Now, moving beyond division, I will open a new era of unity in Incheon education — one focused solely on the future of our children."
He went on to say that pressing challenges lay ahead. "There are weighty tasks that cannot be neglected — full accountability for foundational academic skills, closing the education gap between older urban neighborhoods and new towns, new forms of inequality in the AI era, protecting teachers' legitimate educational activities, and eliminating overcrowded classrooms," he said. "It is my responsibility to think ahead and see things through to the end, but it is up to citizens to add their wisdom and courage to that path. I will always communicate on the ground and use the voices of citizens as my compass."
Do's blueprint for his third term, which he calls the completion of the "Era of Student Success," centers on strengthening public education so that no student is left behind and foundational academic skills are firmly established.
Building on his signature education brand — "Read, Walk, Write" (읽걷쓰), a program emphasizing reading, physical activity and writing — he plans to pursue a system of full accountability for basic education.
Every elementary school will receive a dedicated teacher for foundational academic support, and 20 self-directed learning centers will be established in older urban neighborhoods to address gaps and shortfalls in academic achievement.
Efforts to cultivate talent for the AI era will also accelerate. Do plans to build five AI-integrated education centers across Incheon's regional districts and roll out a life-stage "Read, Walk, Write AI" curriculum designed to develop digital literacy in a safe environment.
Beyond academics, Do announced an expansion of free education starting with 5-year-olds, with the goal of building a learning environment in which everyday life becomes growth from early childhood. He also pledged to eliminate overcrowded special-education classrooms entirely.
New special education schools will be established in Gyeyang-gu and Yeongjong-gu, with additional facilities planned for Bupyeong-gu and Michuhol-gu.
On staff welfare, Do promised to expand the total number of teaching positions so that individual teachers carry fewer class hours per week.
Alongside this, he said he would fully introduce a program to reduce teachers' administrative workload related to academic affairs, and would create and strengthen school support teams at each district education office.
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
