The nation's largest teachers union said Tuesday that it will push to legalize political activities of teachers and their interest groups to field and support specific candidates in the general and presidential elections.
The chief of the conservative Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), which claims 160,000 members nationwide, said the federation's push for free political activities is also intended to counter controversial education policies devised by a number of liberal education superintendents.
It is the first time that the KFTA has officially mounted a campaign to take part in political activities.
"To prevent teachers' authority from being hurt by populist education policies, we will petition for legalization of political activities by teachers and their organizations," Ahn Yang-ok, the KFTA president, told reporters in his first 100 days speech.
His remarks came after a liberal superintendent in Gyeonggi Province last week proclaimed an ordinance aimed at expanding students' rights, including a ban on corporal punishment, despite protests from local principals, teachers and conservative groups that argued easing regulations would make it harder to control students.
"The government, political parties and social environment do not let teachers only focus on their education," Ahn said. "This is a move to restore teachers' right to vote as part of efforts to restore broken spirits of teachers."
Ahn said the KFTA will mount a campaign to revise the law to allow their political activities and support candidates who back their move in the future elections.
Last month, a group of 33 liberal teachers and public servants were convicted for leading an anti-government campaign in violation of a law requiring government employees to maintain political neutrality.