Jung Keun-sik leads Seoul education chief exit poll with pledge to unite city's schools

By Kim Yong-jae, The Herald Business

Exit polls released Wednesday projected Jung Keun-sik, the incumbent Seoul superintendent of education seeking a full term, as the top vote-getter in the city's superintendent race held as part of the nationwide local elections.

According to the exit survey published by KBS, MBC and SBS immediately after polls closed at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jung was on track to win 39.0 percent of the vote — a margin of 17.8 percentage points ahead of conservative rival Cho Jeon-hyeok, who polled at 21.2 percent.

Speaking shortly after the results were announced, Jung said the projected outcome was "less a personal victory than a reflection of citizens' understanding and trust in the key policies of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education over the past year and a half."

He added that with eight candidates having competed in the race, he felt a responsibility to bring together differing views. "I feel I must build a more unified Seoul education," he said.

Jung also said that while a sense of mission had driven him to run in the previous superintendent election a year and a half ago, "this time, a sense of responsibility came before that mission." He thanked his supporters and the citizens of Seoul for their backing.

The race drew a record eight candidates since the direct election system for the position was introduced: Jung Keun-sik, Cho Jeon-hyeok, Kim Young-bae, Ryu Su-no, Yun Ho-sang, Lee Hak-in, Han Man-jung and Hong Je-nam. Jung entered the contest as the unified progressive candidate, selected by the 2026 Seoul Democratic Progressive Superintendent Unification Promotion Committee.

Jung previously defeated Cho in the Seoul superintendent by-election in October 2024.