Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union
Overview
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (abbreviated as Jeon-gyojo) is a teachers' labor union in South Korea founded on May 28, 1989. It aims to democratize education, protect teachers' rights, and promote students' human rights, and gained legal status in 1999. However, during conservative administrations, it faced legal disputes amid controversies over 'left-leaning' tendencies, and was reorganized in 2020 with the reinstatement of dismissed teachers. Currently, it is one of the largest teachers' organizations in South Korea, with approximately 60,000 members.
Main Content
Founding Background and History
Jeon-gyojo was born out of growing demands for democratization in the education field under the military dictatorship of the 1980s. On May 28, 1989, about 1,200 teachers from across the country held an inaugural meeting in Seoul, but the government at the time declared it illegal on grounds such as 'violation of the National Security Act' and mass-dismissed the teachers who led the founding. Subsequently, with the progress of democratization in the 1990s, it acquired legal status in 1999 when the 'Teachers' Union Act' was enacted under the Kim Dae-jung administration.
Major Activities
Jeon-gyojo engages in various activities, including improving teachers' working conditions, participating in education policy, and protecting students' human rights. Representative activities include:
- Improving Teachers' Working Conditions: Collective bargaining for wage increases, expanding teacher quotas, and reducing workload.
- Responding to Education Policy: Providing opinions on national curriculum revisions, school autonomy, and high school system reorganization.
- Students' Human Rights: Campaigns for banning corporal punishment, liberalizing hair regulations, and revitalizing student self-governance.
- Social Solidarity: Collaborating with civil society organizations to secure education budgets and amend the Private School Act.
Legal Status and Conflicts
In 2013, during the Park Geun-hye administration, Jeon-gyojo was notified of its status as an 'illegal union' due to violations of 'political neutrality' following amendments to the 'Teachers' Union Act.' In response, Jeon-gyojo filed an administrative lawsuit, and in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled to 'revoke the illegal union designation,' restoring its legal status. During this process, it operated as an illegal union for about six years from 2014 to 2020, during which membership declined and finances deteriorated.
Organizational Structure
Jeon-gyojo consists of a central organization (Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons, Secretariat), 17 provincial branches, and school-level chapters. Members include kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school teachers, as well as university professors and education professionals. Decision-making is conducted through delegate meetings and the Central Committee, with the chairperson elected every two years.
Latest Trends
As of 2024, Jeon-gyojo maintains a critical stance toward the education policies of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. In particular, it opposes the 'High School Credit System' and 'Teacher Performance Pay System' scheduled for introduction in 2025, demanding reduced teacher workload and strengthened school democracy. Additionally, in September 2024, it held a large-scale rally themed 'Education Recovery,' and in January 2025, it issued a statement urging amendments to the 'Special Act on Improving Teacher Status and Protecting Educational Activities.' Recently, it has also actively responded to issues of declining school-age population due to low birth rates and school consolidation. Meanwhile, in December 2024, an internal discussion was held to strengthen 'progressive education movements' within Jeon-gyojo, and in February 2025, it submitted opinions on the 'Framework Act on Education' amendment to the National Assembly.
Related Topics
- [[Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations]]
- [[Teachers' Union Act]]
- [[Educational Democratization]]
- [[Students' Human Rights]]
- [[Reinstatement of Dismissed Teachers]]
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