Seoul campaign roiled by banners opposing 'queer education'

Walking through Seoul, it is not hard to spot large election banners calling for "homosexuality education" to be expelled from schools, part of conservative Seoul education superintendent candidate Cho Jun-hyuk's campaign.

The banners have become a political flashpoint in the June 3 Seoul superintendent race, with rival candidates and civic groups calling them discriminatory.

Some groups have also argued that the banners may violate government guidelines on outdoor advertisements.

“Expressions that exclude certain people and mock the dignity of others are being repeated both online and offline,” liberal candidate Jung Geun-sik said Tuesday, referring to Cho’s banners and derogatory comments circulating online.

“Freedom of expression is an important democratic value, but expressions that damage the dignity of others and incite discrimination and exclusion cannot be justified in the name of democracy,” Jung said.

Cho, however, defended his campaign message, saying “opposition is not hatred” and accusing his opponents of framing his concerns over what he calls “queer education” as discrimination. In Korean, the English word "queer" is used to mean LGBTQ, and is not in itself considered a slur.

“What we are concerned about is that educational content is entering classrooms without sufficient social consensus or verification,” Cho said.

“Schools are not places to impose a particular set of values. They should be places where children learn academic ability, character, responsibility and a sense of community.”

Cho’s position is shared by several conservative figures in Seoul’s education politics.

On Tuesday, another conservative superintendent candidate, Kim Young-bae, also put up banners with more direct slogans: “Oppose homosexuality” and “Oppose the anti-discrimination law.”

On May 20, Cho released photos of conservative education superintendent candidates in other regions, including Gangwon Province and Busan, holding signs that read, “Queer education out.”

Both Cho and Kim have argued that what they describe as sex education’s growing focus on sexual identity has fueled concern among parents.

“Schools should be places that teach students sound character and healthy values,” Kim said. “Education that repeatedly instills or glorifies homosexuality among minors as something natural and normal must be stopped.”

Cho has also cited several specific cases. He pointed to a high school in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, where parents raised concerns over a class on sexual identities. He also criticized what he described as an increase in queer literature in school libraries and support programs for LGBTQ students.

“Opposition is not hatred. Questions are not hatred. Nor is the voice of those who say they want to protect the next generation,” Cho said.

Cho told reporters Wednesday that the slogans on his banner were not just another one of his pledges. To him, they are symbolic of a fight against what he called "educational policies influenced by leftist political powers."

"Conservative education is about thinking of our children as fragile," Cho said. "They are like blank pages, and the wrong stroke could ruin them"

“All educational content must go through sufficient social discussion and verification. The more socially contentious sex-related content is, the stricter the standards must be.”

Jung, the liberal candidate, issued statements Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday condemning Cho’s banners and calling for them to be removed.

“It is deeply concerning that expressions of hate have appeared in the superintendent election,” Jung said.

“Education is a process of learning to understand differences and live together,” he added. “LGBTQ students are also students whose dignity and safety must be protected in schools.”

Jung on Wednesday issued another statement titled "Four reasons to oppose Cho's Seoul Education campaign," citing what Jung described as Cho's incitement of hate and exclusion, use of foul language, refusal to concede in the primaries, and misperceptions on school violence.

Han Man-jung, another liberal candidate, also criticized Cho’s campaign, asking, “Is it education to make children see such phrases in front of schools and on the streets?”

“The superintendent is a position that protects all children, not one that protects only the children one approves of,” Han said.

“No candidate should try to win votes with language that erases, stigmatizes and excludes others,” he added. “Hatred is not education, and discrimination is not the future of Seoul education.”

Han also took direct aim at Cho, saying, “Can someone who teaches discrimination become an education superintendent? Can someone who uses hatred as an election strategy stand before children?”

Criticism also came from other conservative candidates as well.

Ryu Sun-o and Yoon Ho-sang told reporters Wednesday that they were concerned by Cho's rhetoric.

"How can one use such a rhetoric against voters?" said Yoon. "I understand the logic behind it, but must he have placed such banners? I think he is just looking to earn the vote of certain groups."

"It's just absurd," said Ryu. "It's populism. I do not agree at all."

Civic groups have also begun taking action against Cho's banners.

On Saturday, Rainbow Action Against Sexual-Minority Discrimination and LGBTQ youth support center DDing Dong launched a campaign to report Cho’s banners through channels including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Safety e-Report app, calling them “banners that incite hatred against sexual minorities.”

The groups said the ministry’s guidelines included language related to sexual orientation among expressions that may be restricted in campaign materials.

They argued that the banners fall under wording that promotes prejudice or discrimination against sexual minorities.

"The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has the authority to remove illegal banners reported under the guidelines without prior notice," the groups said, urging supporters to join the reporting campaign.