Why 2,500 Environmental Experts Support Kim Dae-Jung for Education Reform in Gwangju-Jeonnam

The CEN News / Reporter Lee Ju-sang  |   Support from local educators and civic groups continues to grow for Kim Dae-jung, a preliminary candidate for superintendent of education in Gwangju and South Jeolla.

Following earlier endorsements from university professors, researchers and civic groups, 2,500 natural environment managers from Gwangju and South Jeolla formally declared their support for Kim.

On April 30, the Gwangju–Jeonnam Association of Natural Environment Managers issued a statement at Kim’s Gwangju campaign office formalizing its endorsement.

In the declaration, the association argued that education must move beyond a competition-centered model toward one that fosters coexistence among people, nature, local communities and the wider world. It said Kim Dae-jung has most clearly articulated a vision for this kind of coexistence-centered education.

As reasons for their support, the association pointed to his capacity to realize ecology-based, coexistence-focused education, his “glocal” vision for future learning, and his leadership needed in an era of Gwangju–Jeonnam integration. They highlighted his emphasis on sustainability-centered ecological education that links local identity with the global community.

They added that Kim has consistently put into practice the belief that education should connect everyday life, place, nature and community, and described him as a candidate capable of jointly planning individual students’ development and the region’s future.

They reaffirmed their support, calling him “the right person to realize a new educational order centered on coexistence-based future education suitable for the Gwangju–Jeonnam integration era.”

(The CEN News) Honam Reporting Bureau reporter Lee Ju-sang eaglefood@naver.com