Jo edges runner-up Kim Ju-hong by 2.75 percentage points; vows 'education where differences become strengths'

Jo Yong-sik, right, celebrates with his spouse in front of supporters after his victory in the Ulsan superintendent election was confirmed in the early hours of Thursday. [Jo Yong-sik campaign]
Jo Yong-sik, right, celebrates with his spouse in front of supporters after his victory in the Ulsan superintendent election was confirmed in the early hours of Thursday. [Jo Yong-sik campaign]

Jo Yong-sik, 57, a progressive former chairman of the Noh Ok-hee Foundation, was elected superintendent of education for Ulsan, winning the race to lead the city's elementary and secondary school system. Jo secured 227,808 votes, or 39.22 percent, defeating runner-up Kim Ju-hong, who received 211,834 votes (36.47 percent), and Gu Gwang-ryeol, who received 141,139 votes (24.30 percent).

With Jo's election, Ulsan's top education post — decided by direct popular vote since 2007 — has now been held by a conservative superintendent for three consecutive terms and will enter a fourth consecutive term under a progressive.

"I offer words of consolation to candidates Gu Gwang-ryeol and Kim Ju-hong, and to their campaign workers, who gave so much time and care to Ulsan education," Jo said in his victory remarks. "Rather than forging ahead alone, I will walk hand in hand with many people — even if a little slowly — to open new paths and build a solid road on which our children can run confidently toward the future."

Jo was born in Wonju, Gangwon Province, and graduated from the College of Education at Kangwon National University with a degree in classical Chinese education. He began his teaching career in 1993 at Ulsan's Hakseong Middle School. He went on to serve as Ulsan branch chief of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, director of the Ulsan Education Research Institute, and chief of staff to both former Ulsan Superintendent Noh Ok-hee and incumbent Superintendent Cheon Chang-su, gaining broad experience in education advocacy, policy research and administration.


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