After former Jeonbuk Superintendent of Education Seo Geoseok was disqualified due to election law violations and stepped down, Jeonbuk education is facing a crisis of stagnation and confusion. Amidst this situation, Deputy Superintendent Yoo Jung-ki has stated that he will continue the policies of his predecessor, sparking criticism from within and outside the education sector. In response to this, the civic education group 'Open New Path Forum for True Education (Representative No Byeong-seop)' issued a statement on the 7th strongly criticizing the attempt to continue Seo Geoseok's education policies and urging the establishment of a civil-private education governance structure for the normalization of Jeonbuk education.

The forum pointed out that Yoo Jung-ki's statement of continuing the policies of a predecessor who had already lost political and moral legitimacy is highly inappropriate and unorthodox. Particularly, criticism has been raised that mentioning policy continuity in a case where a former superintendent had undermined the fairness of the election through a guilty verdict for election nullification is doubly disappointing for the citizens and education families.

Former Superintendent Seo received legal judgment for a significant violation that undermined the fairness of democracy, which not only delegitimized his election but also eroded the political and moral foundation of the major policies he pursued. Nevertheless, criticism persists that it is difficult to view the declaration of policy continuity by the current education leader without any reevaluation as responsible administration.

The forum pointed out that major policies of former Superintendent Seo, such as the 'academic achievement' centered policy, the allocation of billions of won for 'laptop and electronic blackboard distribution,' and the promotion of 'AI textbook,' were unilaterally pursued without on-site opinion gathering, leading to various controversies. Repeating such policies will only inflict further wounds on the education stakeholders.

The forum emphasized that to overcome the crisis in Jeonbuk education, the restoration of trust in education should take precedence over administrative continuity. Especially in the interim governance regime, what is most needed is not a mechanical extension of policies but responsible administration that reflects the opinions of citizens and education sites.

Therefore, the forum proposed the establishment of a civil-private education cooperation organization, tentatively named the 'Jeonbuk Education Normalization and Development Commission,' involving citizens, parents, teachers, and education experts in the Jeonbuk region. Through this, it is suggested that the direction of administration and the legitimacy of policies should be secured in the absence of a superintendent and further, this should be taken as an opportunity to turn the crisis into a turning point.

The forum demanded three things from Deputy Superintendent Yoo Jung-ki. Firstly, to immediately retract the statement of inheriting policies without legitimacy. Secondly, to focus on political neutrality and administrative stability. Thirdly, to promptly establish a civil-private cooperation organization involving all education stakeholders. Additionally, they urged former Superintendent Seo Geoseok to sincerely apologize for the wounds he left on the citizens and education community.

The forum stated, "During the continuing vacuum in the superintendent position for a year, time should not be wasted with an indifferent attitude towards administration," and emphasized, "By July next year, it is urgent for civil-private cooperation to ensure that Yoo Jung-ki, the Deputy Superintendent, receives an evaluation not as someone who 'passed without any major incidents' but as someone who 'created a turning point in overcoming the crisis in Jeonbuk education.'"