Over 5,200 Teachers Apply for Political Party Membership Amid Legal Challenges

Teachers and education advocacy groups have demanded political freedom and basic rights, presenting over 5,200 applications for party membership to the leadership of both major political parties. However, their submissions were rejected on the grounds of violating party laws.

The coalition, known as the 'Alliance for Teachers' Political Rights,' which includes 13 organizations such as the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union and the Good Teacher Movement, held a press conference on October 21 in front of the National Assembly to urge the legalization of teachers' political rights.

The alliance stated, "The freedom to join a political party is a crucial pathway for connecting on-the-ground experiences with policy and legislation. Teachers, as citizens, should be able to join parties they support and participate in discussions about the direction of education to help create better schools."

They further emphasized, "Rather than limiting only certain political activities, we demand full legal protection for teachers' rights to join parties and engage in policy formation." The coalition clarified that restricting teachers from imposing specific political views on students during class is a separate issue from prohibiting individual teachers from joining parties and engaging in political activities.

Song Soo-yeon, chair of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, remarked, "Teachers' political rights should not be a matter of political bargaining or a question of interests between parties. While we should penalize any misuse of duty for improper political activities, we must not strip away the rights of individuals as citizens outside of school."

Following the press conference, the alliance attempted to deliver the party membership applications from 5,206 teachers to the offices of the ruling People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party. This marks the first time that teachers have collectively sought party membership on such a large scale. However, representatives from both parties cited existing laws that prohibit teachers from joining political parties as the reason for rejecting the applications.

This unprecedented collective action is seen as a response to delays in fulfilling the campaign promise to guarantee teachers' political rights made during the presidential election.