Former lawmaker Cho Jun-hyuk, previously affiliated with the ruling People Power Party's predecessor, emerged as the conservative bloc's sole candidate for the upcoming Seoul education chief by-election on October 16. Following a public opinion poll last Saturday, Cho prevailed over two other conservative contenders, including educator Ahn Yang-ok and Korea University professor Hong Hoo-jo, who initially contested the selection process but ultimately accepted the poll results. On the progressive side, Jung Keun-sik, an honorary professor at Seoul National University with a background in sociology, was chosen as the unified candidate after a narrowing down process from four candidates to three through a similar public opinion poll. The vacancy for the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education arose when former superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, a left-leaning official, was removed from his position last month due to a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a suspended prison sentence related to abuse of power charges in connection with teacher reinstatements. Cho Jun-hyuk, who served in the National Assembly in 2008 and previously ran for the Seoul education chief position in 2022 without success, has pledged to enhance students' academic performance and reduce private education costs. Candidates must officially register with the municipal election committee between Thursday and Friday to compete in the upcoming by-election.