Gangnam District Awards 557 Million Won in Scholarships With No Income Criteria

“Gangnam-Style Scholarship Program” Launched in Full Scale, Benefiting 313 Students This Year
Scholarships Awarded to Outstanding Students in Academics and Talent

Gangnam District in Seoul (headed by Mayor Cho Sungmyung) is set to fully implement the “Gangnam-Style Scholarship Program,” which breaks away from the limitations of traditional scholarship systems focused on low-income families and is open to all students regardless of income or background. Gangnam District has established this program and will award a total of 557 million won in scholarships to 313 students this year.

Scene from the high school scholarship certificate awarding ceremony in June this year. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

The Gangnam-Style Scholarship Program is a flagship policy of the eighth popularly elected administration and was launched to mark the 50th anniversary of the district’s founding, with the aim of discovering and nurturing talent that will lead Gangnam’s next 100 years. Unlike previous income-based scholarships, this program supports students with talent in a variety of fields, including academics, humanities, arts, sports, science, and technical skills.

Even after receiving scholarships, students give back to the community by participating in activities such as mentoring, university visits, and vacation camps, creating a virtuous cycle. Sponsors select scholarship recipients based on their own criteria and personally attend the certificate awarding ceremonies, adding meaning to their donations. Gangnam District provides administrative support, and any resident can participate as a scholarship donor.

In the first half of this year, a total of 73 students-including 29 high school students and 44 university students-received 117 million won in scholarships. In the second half, 440 million won will be distributed to 240 students, including 40 high school students and 200 university students, expanding the scale of support by 3.7 times compared to the first half. Notably, all second-half scholarships were funded entirely by external contributions, with about 90% of the total scholarship funds raised through voluntary participation from the local community.

Support for university students from families with multiple children has also drawn attention. Considering the high costs of education and living expenses, the program is regarded as providing practical help, and parents have expressed high levels of satisfaction.

The second-half scholarship certificate awarding ceremony, to be held at 4 p.m. on November 4 at the Dankook University Affiliated High School Gymnasium, will serve as a festival where sponsors and scholarship recipients can interact. The event will feature a talk concert and a special lecture by science communicator EXO, aiming to inspire students in their career paths.

Cho Sungmyung, Mayor of Gangnam District, stated, “The Gangnam-Style Scholarship Program is a new model in which donors can directly convey their philosophy and values and experience the joy of giving, while students develop pride as active members of the community rather than passive beneficiaries. We will continue to discover more sponsors so that more students can benefit, and these students, in turn, can contribute back to the community, creating a virtuous cycle.”