Busan Office of Education Supports Normalization of Seolbong Academy School Foundation Operations

Private School Dispute Mediation Committee of Ministry of Education Decides on Normalization of Academy

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Leads Stakeholder Agreement

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent: Ha Yoonsoo) announced on the 11th that the normalization of Seolbong Academy, a school corporation that had been operated under a temporary board of directors due to non-compliance with the Ministry of Education’s corrective orders, was decided at the 217th Private School Dispute Mediation Committee meeting held by the Ministry of Education on May 27.

Seolbong Academy, established in 1978, is a private educational foundation that has operated Dongbusan College (a two- to three-year college) and an affiliated kindergarten. However, due to non-compliance with preservation measures following an inspection by the Ministry of Education, a temporary board of directors was dispatched in July 2017.

After the closure of Dongbusan College in August 2020, the affiliated kindergarten was transferred to the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education as a decision was made to maintain its operation, and since then, the academy has continued to be managed by a temporary board of directors.

Since the transfer, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education has continuously coordinated with the founder’s side, the school corporation, and the Ministry of Education to meet the requirements for resolving the temporary board. In March of this year, it established a normalization plan for the school corporation reflecting the opinions of internal members, a concrete school development plan, and a letter of commitment regarding normalization, which led to the decision for normalization.

With this decision, Seolbong Academy will shift to a regular board of directors system for the first time in seven years since the appointment of the temporary board. The transition to a regular board is expected to be completed in August after the necessary preliminary procedures.

Following normalization, Seolbong Academy expressed its intention to establish a special school in addition to operating the kindergarten, in line with the founder’s educational philosophy, contributing to balanced placement of students eligible for special education in the region and improving the conditions for special education.

Ha Yoonsoo, Superintendent of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, “The normalization of Seolbong Academy is significant as it was achieved through the joint efforts of the temporary board, the founder’s side, the school corporation, and the education office,” adding, “The education office will actively support the prompt normalization of Seolbong Academy.”