Superintendent Lim Jongsik of Gyeongbuk Visits Uzbekistan to Attract Outstanding Students to Gyeongbuk Vocational High Schools

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jongsik) announced on June 18 that it will begin strengthening educational cooperation with Uzbekistan as part of its strategy to enhance the global competitiveness of vocational high schools in Gyeongbuk and to overcome the crisis of regional depopulation.

Lim Jongsik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Education, visited Uzbekistan for two days from June 16 to 17 and signed a memorandum of understanding to attract outstanding local students to vocational high schools in Gyeongbuk.

Lim Jongsik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Education, visiting Uzbekistan (left), is pledging a book donation at the Korean Education Center.

This agreement is being promoted based on the Government Scholarship Program for Foreign Students (GKS: Global Korea Scholarship), with the aim of attracting outstanding students from Uzbekistan to vocational high schools in Gyeongbuk and nurturing them as global industrial talent.

In particular, by exporting Gyeongbuk's advanced vocational education model abroad, the initiative is expected to contribute to the international community and serve as an opportunity to strengthen the global competitiveness of vocational education in Gyeongbuk.

During the visit, Superintendent Lim held in-depth discussions on practical cooperation measures with major educational institutions and officials, including the Ministry of Education of Uzbekistan, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uzbekistan, the Korean Education Center in Tashkent, and Tashkent School No. 158.

Notably, at the Korean Education Center in Tashkent, Superintendent Lim delivered a special lecture under the theme "Empowering Uzbekistan's Future through the Strength of Gyeongbuk Education." Around 150 local students enrolled in Korean language courses attended the event, sharing the vision of Gyeongbuk education as well as messages of challenge and hope for growing into global talent.

Regarding the achievements of this visit to Uzbekistan, Superintendent Lim Jongsik stated, "Amid the Korean Wave and growing interest in the Korean language, this agreement has laid the foundation for attracting outstanding international students. I hope this will enhance the global competitiveness of vocational education in Gyeongbuk and that international students will settle in the region, contributing to resolving the issue of local depopulation."