At a recent press conference, Park Young-hwan, Chairman of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (전교조), announced plans to officially change the union's name after 37 years of using the term 'staff'. The announcement came as the federation aims to clarify the membership criteria and emphasize that it represents only teachers. Given the growing competition from rival teacher unions, the proposed name change is seen as a strategy to regain membership and assert its identity as the primary organization for teachers, although there are concerns within the union regarding losing its unique characteristics.

The change in name is part of a broader strategic plan as discussed during the National Delegate Conference held on August 28, where it was concluded that the current legal framework for teachers' unions restricts membership to 'teachers'. In 1999, the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations became legally recognized, but it has retained the term 'staff' in its name to symbolize inclusivity across all education workers. The union's leadership plans to finalize the new name by a total member vote in September after conducting extensive discussions across local branches.

This move appears to be a response to the waning influence of the federation, which was once a symbol of progressive education in Korea since its founding in 1989. With its membership significantly reduced from nearly 100,000 to around 40,000, the federation faces stiff competition from the newly established teacher unions which focus on decentralized and community-based structures and have quickly gained momentum, amassing over 120,000 members. The federation's current focus on teachers' rights aligns with these changes in the educational landscape, as it plans to protect teachers from child abuse accusations, separate administrative duties from teaching responsibilities, and support political engagement for teachers.