Over 1,366 School Buildings Over 30 Years Old
Budget Approximately 21 Trillion KRW
Acceleration Expected if Included in Korean New Deal Policy
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education have proposed to the government to include the modernization project of aging schools in the 'Korean New Deal policy.' There are 1,366 school buildings in Seoul that are over 30 years old. Replacing all of them would cost 21 trillion won. It is expected that the pace of the project will accelerate if it is included in the Korean New Deal policy promoted by the government.
According to the Office of Education on the 1st, currently, 66% of schools in Seoul are aging buildings over 30 to 40 years old. Classes have been conducted in standardized educational spaces such as classrooms of the same size and straight corridors in elementary, middle, and high schools alike. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing need to improve the environment to enable non-face-to-face classes at schools.
In response, the Office of Education is promoting the 'School Modernization New Deal, Schools Embracing the Future (Midam School)' project, which includes three agendas: smart, green, and sharing. It targets 881 schools in Seoul, and it is estimated that about 21 trillion won will be required to rebuild or fully remodel 1,366 aging school buildings (881 schools) over 30 years old. The Office of Education plans to start by renovating 325 schools, about 37% of the aging buildings, over the next 10 years and gradually increase the number. For the first 5 years, it will be a pilot phase with 17 schools renovated annually, and in the latter 5 years, 46 schools will be built as Midam Schools each year.
If the Midam School project proceeds as planned, it is expected to create about 60,000 jobs in the construction sector in Seoul alone. When linked with future regional complex projects, operational staff jobs will also be created. At a press conference jointly held with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on the same day, Superintendent of Education Cho Hee-yeon said, "We actively propose to the government to include (the Midam School project) as a new model of the Korean New Deal leading the national paradigm shift," adding, "The Midam School project will have a considerable impact on education innovation, economic revitalization, job creation, sustainable ecological environment construction, digital industry demand, and the overall industry."
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