Choi Yoon, OK Financial Chairman: "Osaka Geumgang School, Leap to Korea International School"

Osaka Geumgang International School Logo
Photo by OK Financial Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] Choi Yoon, Chairman of OK Financial Group, announced on the 8th that he has changed the name and emblem of the Osaka Geumgang School, a Korean school for residents in Japan, where he serves as chairman of the board.

Geumgang School was established in 1946 by first-generation Korean residents in Japan to spread Korean culture and provide ethnic education to descendants of Koreans living in Japan. Chairman Choi Yoon has been serving as the 11th chairman of the board since June 2019.

Starting this month, Chairman Choi has set a policy to drastically reform the SI (School Identity) in line with the founding goal of “leaping forward as a true Korea International School through nurturing global talents and ethnic education.”

The school name was changed to “Osaka Geumgang International School (OKIS)” to coincide with the start of the first semester of the 2021 academic year. This reflects his commitment expressed at the time of his inauguration: “I will succeed in reforming so that children of Korean residents in Japan can grow into global talents and create a ‘Korea International School’ that everyone wants to attend.” The school song was set as “I Will Become Stronger,” composed by Cho Young-soo, and rearranged with his hit song “I’m Fine” to create “I am OKIS.” The school uniform, emblem, school flag, signboards, and school buses were also changed.

Regarding the curriculum, the focus is on strengthening foreign language education in English, Korean, and Japanese. To this end, a non-grade-level foreign language education program tailored to each student’s individual language proficiency was introduced instead of by grade level. Additionally, a foreign language-focused education system was established, including personalized after-school programs to improve basic academic skills. Language incentive grants are also provided for acquiring qualifications in the Korean Language Proficiency Test and English proficiency tests at certain levels.

Chairman Choi emphasized, “With the founding spirit of Geumgang Academy?ethnic education and the Korean spirit?I plan to focus all the capabilities and will of myself and the faculty on changing everything except the students,” adding, “We will create a school that students with Korean roots most want to enter and that parents prioritize sending their children to.”