In Korean educational settings, the subalternization of elementary school teachers is becoming increasingly prominent. The term subaltern originally refers to marginalized individuals excluded from centers of power—those who are unable to voice their own perspectives and remain socially alienated. Ironically, teaching is often regarded as a stable and publicly valued career in Korea, yet once teachers enter the field, they find themselves reduced to peripheral figures who cannot speak or act autonomously.

This subalternization of teachers is the result of a complex interplay of educational policy, social structures, and organizational culture. The state-led, top-down educational policies—often changed frequently—along with institutional frameworks that restrict teacher autonomy, have transformed educators into passive administrative workers rather than active agents of education. In addition, while society and parents impose high expectations and demands on teachers, their authority and autonomy continue to be suppressed, pushing them into defensive and passive roles. This has driven teachers into closed organizational cultures focused on internal solidarity, while cutting off communication with the outside world.

Within this context, specific factions like the Gyeonggi Eastern Alliance have expanded their influence in teacher organizations by reinforcing group identity rooted in a sense of victimhood and crisis. Unlike the traditional, progressive, and open teacher movements of the past, these factions operate on the basis of strong ideological cohesion and hierarchical organizational culture, increasing their influence among teachers. As a result, even constructive external criticism is perceived as an attack on the organization itself, further deepening internal solidarity and external isolation. In this process, individual teachers become increasingly entrenched in a subaltern self-awareness, and ultimately the entire teaching profession becomes permeated by a sense of insularity and victimhood.

Young teachers in particular feel strong discomfort and alienation within such organizational cultures. Many have distanced themselves from traditional teacher unions such as the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), and have instead sought to protect their autonomy by joining more pragmatic and open unions or engaging in independent activities. However, as competition intensifies among teacher organizations to recruit members, teachers’ diverse voices and autonomy are again absorbed into narrowly framed narratives of victimhood, perpetuating a negative cycle. In Jeonbuk Province especially, all three major teacher unions are currently led by elementary school teachers, which has further accelerated this cycle.

The subalternization of teachers severely undermines their professionalism and autonomy, while also hindering the potential for educational innovation. In the long run, it poses a fundamental threat to the very foundation of public education in Korea. To overcome this phenomenon, it is imperative to establish educational policies and institutional structures that respect teachers’ autonomy and expertise. Beyond narratives of victimhood and closed solidarity, we must build a foundation in which teachers can restore a culture of solidarity and inclusion.

This requires restoring a horizontal organizational culture where diverse voices can coexist. It is also essential to actively rebuild trust between schools, parents, and local communities, and to create systems in which teachers can participate in policy decision-making and speak autonomously. The subalternization of elementary school teachers is not merely a matter of individual teachers losing status—it raises fundamental questions about the values and direction that our society should pursue through education. Korean society must now respond to these questions with sincerity and thoughtful reflection.