Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
South Korea's top court says teacher cannot serve as lawmaker's aide
A South Korean private high school teacher was appointed as a lawmaker's aide in June 2020 while on employment leave from teaching.
The teacher kept their teaching status while working for Kang Min-jung, then a lawmaker from the Open Democratic Party.
The National Assembly secretary-general cancelled the appointment four months later, saying teachers must be politically neutral while lawmakers' aides are not bound by the same rules.
A lower appeals court sided with the teacher, reasoning that being away from school meant the appointment did not necessarily undermine education's political neutrality.
The Supreme Court rejected that reasoning, saying the teacher's status and the aide's political work were incompatible.
It also said restrictions on teachers' political activity are not limited to school grounds or working hours.
The case now returns to the Seoul High Court after the Supreme Court overturned its ruling.
South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled that a private-school teacher cannot remain a teacher while serving as an aide to a lawmaker.
The court said the roles are incompatible because lawmakers’ aides may engage in political activity, while teachers are required to remain politically neutral.
It found that the cancellation of the teacher’s appointment was justified and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.
The teacher had been on leave from a private high school when appointed as a policy aide in June 2020.
- Who
- A private high-school teacher identified as A and South Korea’s Supreme Court.
- What
- The court ruled that the teacher could not retain teacher status while serving as a lawmaker’s aide. It upheld the cancellation of the appointment as justified.
- When
- The appointment was made in June 2020, and the Supreme Court ruling was reported on November 1, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The court said a teacher’s duty of political neutrality is incompatible with the political work of a lawmaker’s aide.
Teacher A
South Korea’s Supreme Court
Appointment during leave
Teacher A
A lower appeals court said that supporting legislative work while on employment leave did not necessarily substantially undermine education’s political neutrality.
South Korea’s Supreme Court
The Supreme Court said holding both positions was incompatible with political neutrality and undermined neutrality in education.
Cancellation of appointment
Teacher A
A challenged the cancellation in court, and the appeals court ruled in A’s favor.
South Korea’s Supreme Court
The Supreme Court held that cancelling the appointment was justified.
A began working as a teacher at a private high school.
While on employment leave, A was appointed as a policy aide to lawmaker Kang Min-jung.
The National Assembly secretary general cancelled A’s appointment, citing the teacher’s political-neutrality obligation.
The Supreme Court overturned the appeals court’s ruling in A’s favor and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.
- Teacher
- A private high-school teacher employed since 2009
- Appointment
- Policy aide to lawmaker Kang Min-jung in June 2020
- Appointment cancelled
- October 2020 by the National Assembly secretary general
- Supreme Court
- Third Division; ruling reported November 1, 2026
- Case destination
- Seoul High Court
1 source
What people are saying
Holding the status of a private-school teacher, who is required to be politically neutral, while on employment leave and appointed as a lawmaker’s aide, whose core work is politics, means holding incompatible positions from the perspective of political neutrality.
It is reasonable to view this as undermining the political neutrality of education.
Political activities or political acts prohibited to private-school teachers are not limited to those carried out during working hours or at educational sites.