Candidate Jou Kyong-bok, a professor at Konkuk University, has emerged as the frontrunner on the strength of support from the Korean Teachers and Education Worker's Union. Jou in 2005 effectively agreed with the leftwing view of the Korean War as a “war of unification.”

The Seoul education superintendent is in charge of education for kindergarteners, and elementary and secondary school students. His or her educational philosophy has considerable influence on the students' views of the state and their values.

In a press interview in October 2005, Jou was asked whether he agreed with Dongguk University professor Kang Jeong-koo's view that the Korean War was a unification war initiated by North Korea. Jou said, "An aggressive war is waged between states. A unification war breaks out due to ideological differences within a state."

Jou gave the interview as chairman of the National Association of Professors for Democratic Society, in connection with the controversy caused by Kang’s view. Most secondary social studies and history teachers teach that the Korean War was provoked by the invasion of the South by North Korea. But some members of the teachers' union teach Kang’s interpretation.

Kim Il-young, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, said, "Some historians' theory of a unification war is contradictory in that they argue the means -- war -- can be justified if the end -- unification -- is right. It's incomprehensible that a man who has made such a claim wants to take responsibility for children's education."

It also emerged recently that as a Konkuk University professor Jou gave an A to all students who had attended his classes, violating university rules that prohibit giving As to more than 35 percent of students.

One of the other Konkuk University professors said, "He resorted to the expedient of giving As to all his students. It disregarded the fundamentals of university education. I'm worried if this is the kind of 'equal education' he is advocating."

(englishnews@chosun.com )