Yangju City Promoted to 'Leading Area' in Educational Development Special Zone... Establishes Status as an Innovative Education City

Selected as an Outstanding Area for Performance Management, Securing Additional Project Funding
Expansion of Localized Educational Models Anticipated

Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province has achieved excellent results in the Ministry of Education's '2024 Educational Development Special Zone Pilot Area Performance Management Evaluation,' and has been promoted from a managed area to a leading area.

A view of Yangju City Hall. Provided by Yangju City

The Ministry of Education conducted this evaluation to review the overall operations and achievements of the 56 Educational Development Special Zones nationwide, as the pilot program entered its second year. The aim was to ensure the smooth implementation of future projects.

Pilot areas for the Educational Development Special Zone are classified as preliminary areas, managed areas, and leading areas.

In this evaluation, Yangju City was highly rated for establishing a systematic performance management framework, strengthening cooperation with the Office of Education and related organizations, and expanding community participation, resulting in its promotion to a higher status.

With this promotion, Yangju City has secured an additional 500 million won in national funding for next year, on top of its basic project budget. The city plans to use this as a foundation to further strengthen the momentum of its Educational Development Special Zone initiatives.

Building on this achievement, the city plans to continue expanding policies such as developing an innovative Yangju-style integrated early childhood education and care model, restoring trust in public education, and implementing customized local education policies to reduce private education expenses.

Yangju Mayor Kang Suhyeon stated, "This designation as a leading area is the result of our consistent efforts toward local educational innovation over the past two years. We received high marks for improving students' access to learning and creating a community-driven educational environment through various initiatives, such as operating care hub centers and digital competency education programs."

He added, "Going forward, we will continue to focus on the Yangju-style Educational Development Special Zone model to strengthen trust in public education and proactively build a future-oriented educational city where children can grow without relying on private education."