Lim Byeong-gu "I will break the cycle of incompetence and corruption"… Declaration of candidacy for Incheon Superintendent of Education from the progressive camp

Lim Byeong-gu (61), the representative of the National Education Autonomy Innovation Alliance, classified as progressive, has officially declared his candidacy for the Incheon Superintendent of Education election. This is the first declaration of candidacy from a progressive figure.

On the morning of the 2nd, Lim held a press conference in front of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education and stated, "I will break the cycle of incompetence and corruption and establish an Incheon education that is faithful to the basics," adding, "I declare my candidacy for the Incheon Superintendent of Education to correct the collapsed Incheon education."

Lim directed strong criticism at the current administration led by Do Seong-hoon. He claimed, "Incheon education has been incompetent and unplanned for the past eight years, and no one has taken responsibility for the results," and asserted, "In the last four years, 9030 students have left school, and the admission rate and child happiness index are among the lowest in the country."

He further pointed out, "While the education office uses a stabilization fund worth trillions of won, it has reduced the budget for basic academic skills, and the streets are filled with self-praising administrative materials promoting the achievements of the superintendent."

Referring to the special education teacher's death incident and allegations of corruption in the electronic blackboard project, Lim emphasized, "The result of a 4th-grade integrity rating is a product of a closed administrative culture," stating, "It is now time to transition to transparent educational autonomy."

Along with his candidacy, Lim presented five key pledges. The first is 'Establishing Proper Educational Administration', promising the introduction of an independent integrity special auditor recommended by civil society and a one-strike-out system for educational corruption, as well as the operation of a 24-hour online reporting centre.

The second is 'School Autonomy and Innovation'. He envisions establishing a Basic Education Centre for Democratic Citizens to systematically teach students democratic values and citizenship.

The third is 'Strengthening Basic Education', stating that he will operate a task force (TF) to guarantee basic education with the participation of metropolitan and basic local governments and the education office to resolve educational disparities between regions.

The fourth is 'Human-Centred AI Education'. He stated that he would establish an Incheon-style AI Learning Companion System that integrates management of learning, safety, and career, applying it to the educational field.

Finally, he proposed being a 'Communicative Superintendent'. Lim stated, "I will eliminate formal protocols and showy administration, and operate an educational sovereignty council where students, parents, faculty, and citizens can participate directly."

Lim remarked, "If not now, it will be too late. This is the last golden time to set Incheon education right," and added, "I will be a superintendent who is evaluated by results, not words, and takes responsibility for the outcomes."

Lim, born in 1964 in Seonjae-ri, Ongjin-gun, graduated from Songdo High School and the Department of Korean Literature at Chung-Ang University. He entered the teaching profession as a regular teacher and has held teaching positions for 33 years, serving as the head of the Incheon branch of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, policy planning officer at the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, and principal of Seoknam Middle School.