Seoul education chief Kwak No-hyun vowed to stay in his position, resisting pressure to step down after receiving a one-year jail term from an appeals court Tuesday for bribing his rival candidate in the education superintendent election last year.

“I will continue my duty as superintendent,” said Kwak at a news conference at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Wednesday.

He also pledged to fight off the accusations regarding the 2010 election process.

“There was no illegal deal between Park and me over the nomination. I resisted every financial deal during the election process, which was also acknowledged by the lower courts,” Kwak said.

He claimed in the trials that he gave the money to Park out of good will, not in return for his withdrawal from the race.

“Park was in financial despair and feeling a great sense of loss after the election. I couldn’t ignore his situation and wanted to help him, considering his sacrifice and contribution to education. So I gave part of a financial contribution (I received) from citizens to Park,” he claimed.

Kwak was accused of giving 200 million won ($175,800) to professor Park Myong-gee of Seoul National University of Education for his withdrawal from the election in June 2010. He was arrested to prevent him from destroying evidence before the first-trial court, which ruled in January that the money should be seen as a payoff and fined him 30 million won. Kwak appealed soon after.

In his appeals trial on Tuesday, he received a heavier sentence of one-year jail term.

But he was allowed to keep his position until the final verdict is made by the Supreme Court, which is expected to be made around July.

The press conference was marred by protests from members from conservative groups calling for his resignation. It was delayed and switched to the Seoul education office from the Press Center.

Conservative education civil groups also held demonstrations in front of the education office calling for Kwak’s resignation.

“We demand that Kwak resign because he can’t stay on in his position since he was found guilty,” they said in a statement.

The Korea Federation of Teachers Association, one of the largest conservative teachers’ groups, also criticized Kwak for keeping his position despite the guilty ruling Tuesday.

“Buying out a candidate is a serious crime that should be punished with stiff penalty, the federation said in a statement.

“What Kwak should do now is not to cling to his position, but to resign and at least show his conscience as an educator.”

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)