Jeonbuk Joint Education Committee Calls for Expansion of Political Rights, Raises Caution on Introduction of Leave of Absence for Candidacy

The Jeonbuk Joint Education Committee (Chairman Park Jun) released a commentary on June 27, urging for the protection of political basic rights of public officials and teachers, particularly emphasizing the legal guarantee of party affiliation as a current challenge. The commentary highlighted that the political freedom of citizens guaranteed by the constitution should equally apply to public officials and teachers, stressing that to gain societal empathy for these rights, the enhancement of political neutrality is a prerequisite.

The commentary also focused on the actions of teacher organizations, not just individual teachers. Continuous posting of photos with specific party politicians or policy agreements can raise societal doubts about the political neutrality of education, potentially undermining discussions on the expansion of political basic rights. In fact, some representatives of teacher organizations continuously posting pictures with specific party politicians on social media are creating negative opinions about teachers' political participation. This behavior may violate current laws and should be approached with caution in the future.

"Party Affiliation is Just the Beginning... Structural Improvements Needed for Candidacy"

The commentary pointed out that despite the constitutional existence of voting and the right to stand for election for teachers, in reality, the right to stand for election is being deprived. In particular, the obligation to resign for election candidacy acts as a practical barrier for teachers and public officials, leading to a structural hindrance to political participation.

Nevertheless, the commentary temporarily withheld more aggressive demands for institutional improvements such as the introduction of a leave of absence for candidacy. This seems to be a strategic decision to prevent misunderstandings that discussions on political basic rights are being perceived as favoritism towards specific occupational groups.

Park Jun, Chairman of the Jeonbuk Joint Education Committee, stated, "Party affiliation and participation in primaries are the minimum and symbolic aspects of political basic rights, but the guarantee of leave of absence related to candidacy should be expanded to a structural discussion for the entire labor market. For teachers to have the right to stand for election through a leave of absence, it should not be granted as an exception but should be fairly guaranteed to all occupational groups."

This stance reflects concerns that granting only public officials the right to take a leave of absence for candidacy, while many citizens like regular employees, non-regular workers, and self-employed individuals experience livelihood disruptions due to the lack of such provisions, could lead to controversies of 'privileging political participation.'

"A Right that Should Be Open to All Citizens"

Park Jun added, "Political basic rights should not be privileges of specific groups but fundamental rights of all citizens," emphasizing that discussions on political basic rights should not be limited to teachers and public officials. He further stated, "Party affiliation, participation in primaries, and the right to stand for election must be organically connected for political freedom to be realized," advocating the need for guaranteeing political basic rights, including participation in party primaries.

The commentary from the Jeonbuk Joint Education Committee reveals that discussions on the expansion of political basic rights for teachers and public officials involve multi-layered issues beyond mere restoration of rights, encompassing political neutrality, social responsibility, and equality in political participation. In particular, as improvements related to candidacy require broad societal deliberation, they are likely to be addressed as a medium to long-term task in future discussions on political reforms.