The inauguration ceremony for the new Seoul Metropolitan Government building in Yongsan-gu was held on April 1st. [Photo=Yonhap News]

On April 6th, the conservative unified candidate for the Seoul Superintendent of Education election was announced after a public opinion poll. Despite another candidate being announced, I, the person involved in the unification, rejoiced as if I had been chosen.

Conservatives have never achieved unification in the Seoul Superintendent of Education elections. They have always been divided, and as a result, they have always lost to the progressives who have achieved unification. 

In the public opinion poll for this conservative unification process, all other candidates unanimously pointed to me in an attempt to disadvantage me. I readily accepted, solely for the sake of achieving conservative unification. 

However, looking at the survey questions, it is easy to see how severely the content was tainted. Nevertheless, I cleanly accepted the results and did not utter a single word of complaint.

Unexpectedly, the candidate who led the effort to create survey questions that were unilaterally disadvantageous to me declared their refusal to accept the unification results.

Alas, my sacrifice for the first-ever conservative unification of the Seoul Superintendent of Education candidate has been in vain. If things continue like this, the outcome of the Seoul Superintendent of Education election is predictable.

The myriad conservative candidates are walking down a predictable 'path to death.' This is because if they do not secure at least 15% of the vote, they will have to cover election costs close to 4 billion won out of their own pockets without reimbursement.

Watching their peculiar actions makes me furious. They have repeated the bad habit of division, which has become a chronic problem. And you know well that this is not just a phenomenon in the Seoul Superintendent of Education conservative unification process. The divided conservatives are heading towards the June 3rd local elections without being able to exert any real strength.

The 'progressive thugs' are ruthlessly dismantling and trampling the noble constitutional system that we have upheld since liberation. Instead of bravely resisting them, I am overcome with uncontrollable sorrow at their foolish and despicable habit of splitting apart solely for their own petty interests.

◆ Lawyer Shin Pyung

Former judge. CEO of Shin Pyung Law Firm. Political commentator. Also active as a writer, publishing essay collections such as "Living in Gyeongju," which captures his reflections while living in Gyeongju, true to his nickname 'Farmer Lawyer.'