44 North Korean Defector Students in Seoul Participate in Winter Vacation School

Implementation of Basic Learning and Career Experience Activities

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A program to support the learning and career exploration of North Korean defector students during the winter vacation will be operated.

On the 5th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that the "Winter Vacation School for North Korean Defector Students" will be held from the 9th to the 13th at Danghyeon Elementary School and Singok Elementary School in Seoul.

In this program, 44 North Korean defector students will participate in basic learning and career experience activities. Forty-four mentor teachers who completed training on understanding North Korean defector students in December last year, 11 operating teachers, and 2 volunteers will provide support.

The basic learning program will be operated in a one-on-one mentoring format, matching mentee North Korean defector students with mentor teachers, considering the students' levels and characteristics for customized mentoring.

The career exploration program consists of small group career experiences and academic counseling. North Korean defector students will be divided into small groups of about 10 people to experience various occupations such as announcers, robotics engineers, and app developers, and career counseling experts will assist with entrance exam consulting for middle school, high school, and university admissions.

Meanwhile, the number of North Korean defector students under the education office has been decreasing over the past five years, from 589 in the 2018 academic year to 519 in 2020, and 429 in 2022.

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "The foundation for North Korean defector students to settle in our society is adapting to school life," and added, "We plan to support this winter vacation school to become an opportunity for North Korean defector students to build confidence in learning and nurture their dreams for the future."