Progressive bloc poised to secure 13 out of 16 superintendent seats Liberal Seoul Metropolitan Education Superintendent candidate Jung Geun-sik (right) raises his hand to cheer during his final rally on Tuesday in front of Deoksugung in Jung-gu, Seoul. (Jung Geun-sik's campaign office) Liberal candidate Jung Geun-sik was projected to win Seoul’s education superintendent race Wednesday, exit polls showed, securing a second term as head of the city’s education office.Polls closed at 6 p.m., with exit polls giving Jung 39 percent of the vote, ahead of conservative candidate Cho Chun-hyuk, who received 21.2 percent.The exit polls were conducted by Korea’s three major broadcasters, KBS, MBC and SBS, at 595 polling stations nationwide. They surveyed every fifth voter who cast a ballot on Election Day.If the exit polls hold, Jung’s projected victory is expected to reignite criticism of the conservative bloc’s failure to field a unified candidate. Four conservative-leaning candidates ran for the post, splitting the vote in a race where their combined support appeared to outpace Jung’s share.Jung’s projected win points to policy continuity in SeoulDuring the campaign, Jung vowed to continue major projects launched during his first term, while also pledging to address issues such as AI and digital education, student mental health, teachers’ rights, and student rights.Jung, a former sociologist and professor at Seoul National University, also promised to expand support for students with multicultural backgrounds. His pledges included operating trilingual schools using Korean, English and Mandarin Chinese in districts with large migrant-background student populations.He also pledged to open a second Seoul Migrant-Background Student Support Center in northern Seoul, introduce translation and interpretation services, develop Korean-language textbooks tailored to different parts of Seoul, provide additional support for schools in areas with large migrant-background populations, and expand Korean preparatory schools.Liberal candidates outpace conservatives outside SeoulThe progressive bloc was projected to win 13 of the 16 education superintendent seats nationwide, according to exit polls.In Gyeonggi Province, progressive-leaning candidate Ahn Min-seok was projected to defeat incumbent superintendent Yim Tae-hee, with Ahn receiving 58.2 percent of the vote and Yim receiving 41.8 percent.Ahn is a former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker and professor at Myongji University.In Incheon, exit polls showed liberal-leaning candidate Do Seong-hoon leading with 37.1 percent, ahead of Lim Byeong-gu, another liberal-leaning candidate, and Lee Dae-hyung, who ran as a center-conservative candidate.Progressive-leaning candidates led in exit polls in 13 regions, including Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Daejeon, Sejong, Ulsan, Jeju Island, Gyeonggi Province, South Gyeongsang Province, Gwangju-South Jeolla Province, North Jeolla Province, South Chungcheong Province and Gangwon Province.Conservative candidates were projected to lead in three regions: Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province and North Chungcheong Province.Experts caution that final results may differ from exit polls, particularly in education superintendent elections, where voter interest tends to be low and candidates do not officially run under political party banners.Voting was also delayed in parts of Songpa-gu, Seoul, after some polling stations experienced a ballot shortage. Votes cast by those who voted late, as well as those who participated in early voting on Friday and Saturday, were not factored into the exit polls.