Gyeonggi Korean Language School Expands Fully to 31 Regions... Strengthening Support for Multicultural Students

Pilot Operation in 3 Regions in 2023
40 Institutions in 31 Cities and Counties This Year
The Nation's First Intensive Korean Language Education Institution

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Tae-hee) announced on the 30th that it will fully expand the ‘Gyeonggi Korean Language School (KLS, Gyeonggi Korean Shared School)’ to 31 regions within the province. Intensive Korean language education will be provided for multicultural students before entering public education anywhere in Gyeonggi Province.

Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education will fully expand the 'Gyeonggi Korean Language School' to 31 regions within the province. Provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education

The Office of Education operates the ‘Gyeonggi Korean Language School,’ which intensively provides Korean language education inside and outside schools and in local communities to support the increasing number of multicultural students entering public education and adapting to school life.

Starting with a pilot operation in 2023 in three regions?Ansan, Dongducheon, and Namyangju?it expanded to 14 institutions in 2024. This year, it will be operated in 40 institutions across 31 regions in Gyeonggi Province. Intensive support is provided for short-term, long-term, and out-of-school multicultural students.

The ‘Gyeonggi Korean Language School’ is a system that provides intensive Korean language education before school entry and was the first of its kind introduced nationwide. Its effectiveness has since been recognized, leading to nationwide expansion as part of the Ministry of Education’s Korean Language Preparatory Course project, with the Office of Education guiding operational plans across the country.

The Office of Education is closely supporting multicultural students’ Korean language education through cooperation inside and outside schools and within local communities.

First, within schools, bridge courses during school level transitions, special multicultural classes, and multicultural language instructors are provided. In local communities, at least one institution must operate the Gyeonggi Korean Language School (Gyeonggi Korean Shared School), with additional operations in areas with high concentrations of multicultural students.

Additionally, an online Korean language education system has been established to operate programs for out-of-school students and those living far away.

Hyun Gye-myeong, Director of the Converged Education Policy Division at the Office of Education, said, “The ‘Gyeonggi Korean Language School’ is a policy proactively created by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education to provide intensive Korean language education for multicultural students. We will actively support multicultural students in improving their Korean language skills to facilitate their entry into public education and adaptation to school life.”