The early voting center in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul where many office workers are, is crowded. An official at the polling station said it was quieter than previous early voting stations. (Yonhap)

As early voting kicked off Friday in the by-election to fill the Seoul education superintendent post, polling stations across Seoul remained relatively quiet, with public interest in the election low on the weekday. According to the Election Commission, voter turnout by 3:40 p.m. was 2.48 percent, with 206,317 ballots cast out of 8.32 million eligible voters.

The election, featuring four candidates, is expected to influence the future of education in South Korea. While the superintendent's role is formally limited to overseeing Seoul's schools, the outcome could shape national education policy due to the capital city's leading role in the country.

The race is currently dominated by two candidates: liberal Jung Keun-sik, a former sociology professor at Seoul National University, and conservative Cho Jun-hyuk, a former lawmaker for the Grand National Party, a precursor to the current ruling party. Jung advocates for expanding innovative education and strengthening history curricula, while Cho calls for stricter academic standards and a return to thorough student assessments, framing his campaign as a response to former superintendent Cho Hee-yeon's policies.

The two front-runners diverge sharply on the contentious Student Rights Ordinance and the Student Rights Act. Jung supports both measures, whereas Cho seeks to repeal the ordinance, criticizing it for undermining discipline in schools. He has also blamed the previous liberal administration for a decline in basic academic skills.

Cho has further intensified his campaign rhetoric, labeling Jung as a "replica" of the ousted superintendent, who lost his position after the Supreme Court upheld a ruling against him for illegally ordering the special hiring of dismissed teachers. In contrast, Jung has defended the previous administration's policies, challenging claims of declining academic standards and highlighting Cho's history of school violence during his youth as evidence of him being unfit for the role.

Two independent candidates are also in the race, each offering alternative visions.

Yoon Ho-sang, a former school principal, promises to alleviate the educational burden on families by creating regional care centers in unused school facilities and expanding early education programs. He also aims to reduce reliance on costly private English tutoring by improving public English education.

Meanwhile, Choi Bo-sun has pledged to promote an inclusive educational approach that encompasses conservatives and liberals with the goal of "realizing a fair education in Seoul without discrimination." He also proposes a fund worth 1 trillion won ($742 million) to support disadvantaged students through unused budget allocations and increased profits from the School Safety and Insurance Association.

The candidates will participate in their first joint debate on Friday, hosted by EBS, where they will outline their policies in a four-way discussion.

Early voting is taking place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, with the main by-election scheduled for Oct. 16.

The by-election was triggered by the Supreme Court's August decision to remove Cho Hee-yeon from office, effectively ending his third term as Seoul's education chief.

Since the superintendent position became an elected role in 2008, liberal candidates have won four out of six elections, including the three consecutive terms secured by Cho when conservatives failed to unify their candidacies.