Incumbent Seoul education superintendent Jeong Geunsik was elected the unified progressive camp candidate for Seoul education superintendent.
The 2026 Seoul Democratic-Progressive Education Superintendent Unification Promotion Committee (hereinafter the committee) announced on the 23rd the results of the first-round vote, saying that incumbent Seoul education superintendent Jeong Geunsik was elected as the final unified candidate. Superintendent Jeong won a majority of the votes.
The committee held the first-round vote over two days from 8 a.m. the previous day to 6 p.m. that day. Six candidates took part in the unification primary: ▲ former lawmaker Kang Minjeong ▲ Kang Shinman, former chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Innovation Future Education Promotion Committee ▲ Kim Hyeoncheol, head of the Seoul Education Autonomy Citizens' Solidarity Council ▲ Lee Euljae, former vice chair of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) ▲ incumbent Seoul education superintendent Jeong Geunsik ▲ Han Manjung, standing representative of the National Education Autonomy Innovation Solidarity.
The first-round vote was held over two days from 8 a.m. the previous day to 6 p.m. that day. It was conducted 100% by a citizen participation group serving as the electoral college. The citizen participation group was recruited through the 12th. As of 6 p.m. on the 21st, 28,516 people were confirmed as members of the electoral college. Among them, 1,318 were youth, accounting for 4.6% of the total.
In the first-round vote, a total of 17,559 people (17,154 adults and 405 youth) out of the entire electoral college (28,516) voted, recording a 61.58% turnout. Superintendent Jeong won a majority in the first round and was confirmed as the final unified candidate without a second runoff vote (Apr. 27–28).
That day, Superintendent Jeong said, "Jeong Geunsik will work together with the five candidates to create a proud Seoul education that receives students' dreams, teachers' pride, and parents' trust."
Superintendent Jeong is expected to compete with Yoon Hosang, an adjunct professor at Hanyang University Graduate School of Education and the unified conservative camp candidate, in the 9th nationwide local elections to be held on Jun. 3. The committee plans to accept objections until 6 p.m. on the 24th.