Connection to Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex
On the 28th, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, achieved the great success of being finally selected as a leading area for the Ministry of Education's Education Development Special Zone.
On the 28th, Uljin-gun was finally selected as a leading area for educational development special zones by the Ministry of Education.
Uljin-gun applied for designation as an "Education Development Special Zone linked with the Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex" in early February, following the Ministry of Education's announcement of the "Application Notice for Designation of Pilot Areas for Education Development Special Zones."
To this end, Uljin set the vision of "Uljin as the center of specialized education for Korea's future clean energy," establishing three promotion strategies and eight detailed promotion tasks.
On January 11, to develop the promotion strategies for the Uljin-type Education Development Special Zone, identify regulatory improvements, and gather opinions from companies and residents, the "Uljin-gun Education Development Special Zone Promotion Cooperation Body" was formed, co-chaired by County Governor Son Byung-bok and Education Support Office Chief Hwang Seok-su.
On the same day, Uljin-gun presented the "Draft Plan for Operating the Pilot Area of the Education Development Special Zone" to the cooperation body members. Based on the draft plan, Governor Son Byung-bok and the members discussed ▲ operation plans for Neulbom School ▲ support projects for school complex facilities ▲ curriculum development plans to nurture talent desired by companies through linkage between large corporations in the national industrial complex and high schools and universities ▲ university attraction and special admissions ▲ and measures to prevent the outflow of local talent by improving regional living conditions.
Additionally, through a nationwide idea contest for the Education Development Special Zone, 28 valuable opinions were received from January 8 to January 31.
On January 23, Governor Son Byung-bok of Uljin-gun, Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk Province, and Superintendent Lim Jong-sik of Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education signed a "Memorandum of Understanding for the Operation of the Pilot Project for the Education Development Special Zone."
The signatories included Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education, as well as three universities and four large corporations scheduled to enter the national industrial complex (Lotte Chemical, GS Construction, GS Energy, BHI).
After an in-person review of the pilot area operation plan on the 15th, Uljin-gun was finally selected as a leading area for the Education Development Special Zone on the 28th.
Once selected as a leading area for the Education Development Special Zone, after a three-year pilot operation period and a comprehensive evaluation by the Education Development Special Zone Committee, it will be officially designated as an Education Development Special Zone. Furthermore, various customized special measures for public education innovation can be proposed in a bottom-up manner.
The county plans to continuously propose expanding special admissions for local talent linking high schools and universities, and increasing autonomy in school curriculum operation.
In addition, through the Gyeongbuk K-U City Project and the Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen U City promotion, the county will spare no administrative and financial support such as establishing an educational foundation for nurturing innovative talent to meet industrial demand, tuition-free support to improve living conditions, support for employment and further education of high school graduates, housing cost support for 10 years, marriage support funds of 50 million KRW (10 million KRW annually for 5 years), childbirth incentives, and zero household burden for childcare.
Through the "Uljin-type Education Development Special Zone," the county expects to connect and employ talented individuals who have received quality education from early childhood to university within the region’s national industrial complex large corporations, thereby leading a virtuous cycle of marriage and childbirth.
Moreover, the county plans to actively promote exemption from preliminary feasibility studies for the "Uljin-type Education Development Special Zone" and the "Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex," as well as the designation of a "Opportunity Development Special Zone" that induces relocation and investment activation of metropolitan area companies to local areas, serving as a foundation to overcome the crisis of local extinction caused by population cliff due to low birth rates and aging.
Governor Son Byung-bok said, "The selection as a leading area for the Education Development Special Zone is expected to help prevent population outflow within the region and contribute to population growth in Uljin through an education system specialized in nuclear hydrogen." He added, "To this end, Uljin-gun will take the lead in cooperating with the education office, universities, and companies to drive regional education innovation and nurture local talent for the development of Uljin-gun."
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