Seven teachers' organizations hold press conference at National Assembly

Joint action planned as groups push to allow teachers to join political parties

Chairs of seven teachers' organizations within the Coalition for Restoring Teachers' Basic Political Rights hold a press conference at the National Assembly's media room Thursday, saying, "Teachers do not want to become politicians. We want to be full citizens." [Yonhap]
Chairs of seven teachers' organizations within the Coalition for Restoring Teachers' Basic Political Rights hold a press conference at the National Assembly's media room Thursday, saying, "Teachers do not want to become politicians. We want to be full citizens." [Yonhap]

Teachers' organizations urged the National Assembly on Thursday to pass legislation guaranteeing basic political rights for teachers, including the right to join political parties. The groups also announced a joint action plan to submit party membership forms signed by teachers directly to political parties on Oct. 21.

Seven teachers' organizations — including the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, the Teachers' and Educational Workers' Union Federation, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, and the Practical Education Teachers' Association — held a press conference at the National Assembly's media room Thursday, announcing the launch of a joint campaign to secure basic political rights for teachers.

The groups said protections should go beyond merely allowing teachers to make political donations or participate in limited elections, and should extend to the freedom to join political parties.

The organizations said teachers are directly affected by education policy yet face restrictions on voicing their views in political and policy-making processes. They said political rights should not be curtailed in teachers' daily lives outside school simply because of their profession.

At the same time, the groups said they would uphold the principle of political neutrality inside schools. They called for a clear distinction between teachers' professional duties and their exercise of political rights as citizens, arguing that outside school, teachers should be able to exercise the same political rights as any other citizen.

Song Su-yeon, chair of the Teachers' and Educational Workers' Union Federation, said regulations on the political rights of civil servants and teachers still remain in place. She said the obligation of political neutrality should not serve as grounds to restrict teachers' rights as citizens even after working hours.

The organizations said they would continue joint actions calling for amendments to relevant laws. On Oct. 21, they plan to submit party membership forms signed by teachers to each political party, formally demanding that teachers be allowed to join parties.


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