Mayor Oh Provides Educational Opportunities to Vulnerable Groups Struggling with Private Education; 'Seoul Run,' Created to Restore the 'Ladder of Social Mobility' from Humble Beginnings, Shows Remarkable Results in 3 Years... Student Who Passed S University Medical School Scholarship After Attending Seoul Run Receives Applause
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s representative “Walking with the Vulnerable” project, “Seoul Run,” which aims to restore the “ladder of social mobility” by providing fair educational opportunities to vulnerable groups who find it difficult to receive private education due to social and economic reasons, has gained attention for its outstanding results in this year’s college entrance exam.
“Oh Se-hoon’s Seoul Run” has been a huge hit in this year’s college admissions.
Since its introduction in August 2021, Seoul Run has been offering free access to popular online lectures and one-on-one mentoring to vulnerable students aged 6 to 24.
On the 21st, Gu Jong-won, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Lifelong Education Bureau, held a briefing at the city hall press room to announce the results of the “Seoul Run Career and College Admission Survey,” revealing a significant increase in university admissions and high satisfaction rates.
122 students admitted to 11 universities including Seoul National University and medical/pharmaceutical fields... a 56.4% increase compared to last year
Director Gu stated, “Seoul Run, a flagship project of Seoul’s ‘Walking with the Vulnerable’ initiative providing fair educational opportunities, represents a proactive investment in the future generation,” and announced, “There were 122 students admitted to 11 universities including Seoul National University and medical/pharmaceutical fields, a 56.4% increase compared to last year.”
This year’s Seoul Run achievements are truly remarkable. Among Seoul Run members who were high school seniors or older last year, 1,084 took the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), and 682 of them were admitted to universities. This is an increase of 220 students compared to 462 the previous year. The total average study time of admitted students was 6,916 minutes (about 115 hours), which is about 59% more than last year’s 4,360 minutes (about 72 hours). Nine out of ten members responded that Seoul Run helped them prepare for the entrance exam. With lecture provision and systematic study management, Seoul Run has been praised for achieving both participation and tangible results.
The number of students admitted to 11 universities in Seoul including Seoul National University, as well as special-purpose universities such as medical, pharmaceutical, education, and military academies, reached 122, up about 56.4% from 78 last year.
By university, the numbers are ▲Seoul National University 12 ▲Korea University 12 ▲Yonsei University 10 ▲Sogang University 4 ▲Sungkyunkwan University 5 ▲Hanyang University 7 ▲Chung-Ang University 15.
In particular, the number of admitted students increased significantly at Seoul National University (8), Korea University (7), Chung-Ang University (10), and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (9).
A proud student who listened to Seoul Run and was admitted as a scholarship student to S University Medical School also emerged
Among the admitted students, there was one who caught attention.
# I have a lung condition different from others. I was born with a weak lung, and when I was in school, there were many days when I had to go to the hospital immediately after school. There was no room for academy fees among my hospital expenses. But through the news, I learned about Seoul Run and had the opportunity to access online lectures. It was like light coming into a dark and endless tunnel. So, I was able to study consistently regardless of location, whether in the car going to the hospital or at home. As a result, I made a score with only three mistakes on the 2024 CSAT and was admitted to S University College of Medicine. - Kim 00 (anonymous, admitted to S University College of Medicine)
# When I first used Seoul Run in 2022, mentoring gave me a definite motivation to study. When my study habits were not yet established, my mentor set customized study goals that fit me perfectly, and thanks to that, I was able to steadily improve my CSAT scores along with self-directed study habits. With strong support, I was able to study hard and was admitted to my desired university, Yonsei University.
- Kim Jeong-yeon (19 years old, admitted to Yonsei University)
# I failed to get admitted to Samyook University in my first entrance exam in 2023, but then I studied hard through Seoul Run. This year, I became a student at Hanyang University. When I was frustrated by my first college entrance failure, Seoul Run was a great help to me. I was able to surpass the limits I thought I had, to my own surprise. I think I can live well by achieving my goals one by one.” - Lee Chae-yeon (19 years old, admitted to Hanyang University)
Based on these remarkable achievements, Seoul City has decided to make further efforts to develop Seoul Run.
Seoul City to operate ‘Seoul Run Intensive Support Class’ this year... plans to run Yale University training program this summer
The city will operate the “Seoul Run Intensive Support Class” for the first time this year to provide broad support to members with high study enthusiasm. In January this year, the selection of about 200 participants for the Intensive Support Class was completed.
For Intensive Support Class students, the number of study materials provided per person annually will be increased from the existing 5 books to up to 30 books, and the number of accessible subject sites will be expanded from 1 to 2. Mentoring hours will also be increased from 2 hours to 4 hours per week to provide stronger support. The city explained that it plans to actively support students with high study motivation to achieve their desired goals.
The range of lecture choices has also been expanded. At the end of last year, Seoul City signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with EBS, and at the beginning of this year, linked the EBS site to Seoul Run. During vacation periods, offline special lectures by renowned EBS instructors will also be held for Seoul Run students.
Seoul Run members can easily access the EBS site for study after logging into Seoul Run.
In collaboration with private companies that share Seoul Run’s purpose, study expenses support and events to improve learning ability will also be held. Recently, the Woori Financial Future Foundation decided to allocate 1 billion KRW for Seoul Run members, planning to support about 100 highly motivated students with approximately 2 million KRW annually for study expenses and to hold career and study camps.
The “Together with Love” organization also signed an agreement with the city in March this year to donate a total of 100 million KRW for study expenses support and educational program operation.
For students who prefer experienced mentors, the “4050 Senior Mentoring” program will be implemented for the first time this year. Retired teachers and others will serve as mentors to provide more thorough and substantial mentoring. Initially, senior mentors will be matched with elementary school members, and after assessing demand, the program will be expanded to middle and high school students.
Additionally, to ensure mentoring is not only focused on academic guidance and career exploration, 50 “Special Emotional Support Mentors” will be operated to strengthen psychological support. These special mentors will be primarily selected from Seoul Run graduates.
Alongside this, the “Seoul Run Virtuous Cycle Volunteer Group” will also be operated. Users who have achieved their desired results through Seoul Run will be connected to volunteer programs suitable for their age and characteristics, such as homework help, play guidance, and Korean language learning.
Director Gu Jong-won said, “Despite the harsh reality where it is difficult for a dragon to emerge from a small stream, the effect of Seoul Run in restoring the ladder of social mobility so that young people do not give up and continue their studies has been confirmed this year with the tangible result of university admission,” and added, “We will raise the level of Seoul Run and establish a ‘virtuous cycle of hope’ where Seoul Run participants become mentors for their juniors.”
Having graduated from Seoul National University’s Department of Political Science and entered Seoul City through the 43rd Administrative Examination, Gu served as Mayor Oh’s executive secretary and chief of staff, witnessing the sincerity of Mayor Oh’s citizen-centered policies up close. This has further strengthened Gu’s passion for developing Seoul Run.
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