Gwangyang-si Designated as Pilot Area for Education Development Special Zone

Special Grants of 3 Billion to 10 Billion Won Each in the Future

Mayor Jeong In-hwa Welcomes "Foundation for an Education City"

Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do announced on the 28th that it has been designated as the first pilot area for the Education Development Special Zone to prevent regional extinction through educational innovation.

The Education Development Special Zone is a policy that comprehensively supports regional educational innovation and talent cultivation through cooperation among local governments, education offices, and universities.

The pilot areas for the Education Development Special Zone are one of the four special zones for realizing the local era under the current government. They are designated by the Minister of Education after evaluation by the Education Development Special Zone Committee, composed of experts in education policy and regional policy, and review and resolution by the Local Era Committee.

The Ministry of Education held a public contest for pilot areas of the Education Development Special Zone from December 11 last year to February 9 this year. A total of 15 metropolitan local governments and 94 basic local governments (92 basic local governments and 2 administrative cities) participated, resulting in the selection of 6 metropolitan local governments and 43 basic local governments.

Once designated as an Education Development Special Zone, the area will receive support ranging from 3 billion to 10 billion KRW through special grants from the local education finance grants, and regulatory exemptions will be applied for operating educational programs needed by the region.

Through this designation, the city plans to expand seamless care in cooperation with the community by expanding the operation of Neulbom School, operating 24-hour daycare centers, and building hub care centers linked with cultural centers, aiming to cultivate talent connected to K-advanced industries.

Additionally, the city will strengthen public education through autonomous public high schools and agreement-type specialized high schools with region-customized specialized education, and establish a talent cultivation system for advanced industries such as secondary batteries and hydrogen, leading the growth of the southern coastal central region in connection with Suncheon National University's Glocal30 program.

Jung In-hwa, Mayor of Gwangyang City, issued a statement welcoming the designation as a pilot area for the Education Development Special Zone.

In his welcome statement, Mayor Jung said, “I pay tribute to the Ministry of Education, the Local Era Committee officials, and Jeonnam Office of Education officials who worked hard for the designation of the Education Development Special Zone pilot area.”

He added, “The city will promote educational reform aimed at cultivating talent linked to K-advanced industries such as secondary batteries and new materials industries, advancing as a model talent cultivation city and a leading educational reform city. We will create a virtuous cycle system where talents nurtured locally stay in the region and contribute to regional development, raising Gwangyang’s capabilities and status as a future-leading educational city following a prosperous economic city.”