Mayor Lee Hyunjae and Superintendent Lim Taehee Agree to Open Nation's First Hanam Education Support Office in First Half of Next Year

Mayor Lee Hyunjae Requests Hanam to Open the Nation's First Education Support Office
Superintendent Lim Taehee Pledges Priority Opening in the First Half of Next Year
Resolving Hanam's Key Education Issues as 'One Team'
Rapid Progress on Ne

The long-awaited establishment of the Hanam Education Support Office, a key wish of Hanam citizens in Gyeonggi Province, has entered the stage of becoming a reality, with the goal of opening as the nation's first such office in the first half of next year. Hanam City has completed all administrative support, including securing a temporary office and forming an "Opening Support Team." Mayor Lee Hyunjae of Hanam met with Lim Taehee, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, and agreed to cooperate for a swift opening.

Lee Hyun-jae, Mayor of Hanam (left), is having a meeting with Lim Tae-hee, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, at the Northern Office of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education on the 11th. Provided by Hanam City

According to Hanam City on November 12, Mayor Lee Hyunjae held a meeting with Superintendent Lim Taehee at the Northern Office of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education on November 11, where they had an in-depth discussion on major pending educational issues, including the establishment of the Hanam Education Support Office and the resolution of overcrowded classes in Wirye and Gamil New Towns.

At the meeting, Mayor Lee requested the separation and establishment of the "nation's first Hanam Education Support Office," emphasizing that he has regarded the establishment of the Hanam Education Support Office as a core issue of the city since the beginning of his term.

Mayor Lee stated, "Due to the explosive increase in the school-age population caused by new town development, the existing Hanam Education Support Center is clearly limited in meeting the surging educational demand. It is essential for the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education to provide full and swift support so that Hanam City can open the 'nation's first education support office' in the first half of next year."

In preparation for the opening, the city has preemptively secured the sixth floor of the Hanam Welfare Town as a temporary office, which will be available for occupancy as early as December. In addition, to provide practical support, the city has quickly organized an "Opening Support Team" consisting of 15 members across four divisions: lifelong education, public relations and budgeting, office and asset management, and others, thereby establishing a system to provide comprehensive administrative and financial support for the opening.

Superintendent Lim Taehee responded, "As soon as the regulations are finalized, we will make every effort to prioritize the opening of the Hanam Education Support Office in the first half of next year."

During the meeting, Mayor Lee also strongly requested the resolution of overcrowded classes. He specifically called for the smooth opening of Hanhol Middle School (scheduled for March 2026) and the tentatively named Misa 4th High School (scheduled for March 2027), which are key to resolving overcrowding in the Misa district.

Starting with the formation of the "Overcrowded Class Task Force," Mayor Lee's first official approval after taking office, the city, with the understanding and cooperation of citizens, provided public park land as a school site for Hanhol Middle School free of charge, creating the "nation's first exemplary case."

In particular, the Hanhol Middle School site is being evaluated as a model educational infrastructure for mutual growth between the school and the local community, as it has been designed from the planning stage to open school facilities such as the playground and gymnasium to the public. Additionally, the city provided 3.3 billion won for the development of public infrastructure, including the construction of school routes and the expansion of safety facilities.

During this process, Mayor Lee personally inspected the site with Oh Seongae, Director of the Gwangju Hanam Education Support Office, and emphasized that the working-level staff are cooperating closely, requesting the superintendent's support to ensure the schools open without delay.

Regarding the overcrowding issues in Wirye and Gamil districts, Mayor Lee noted, "The number of students is expected to increase between 2029 and 2031. Although Director Oh Seongae and the working-level staff are working hard to gather opinions on site, this is an issue that the Provincial Office of Education must step in to resolve."

Mayor Lee further explained, "Since there is no available land for new schools, we have reached the limit with only expansions and remodeling. As it is expected that the number of students will exceed capacity by several dozen, I propose a specific alternative: temporarily designate a joint school district with the neighboring Songpa District in Seoul for several dozen students."

Superintendent Lim Taehee stated, "I fully understand the problems with overcrowded classes. First, we will discuss the establishment of a joint school district for Hanam and Seongnam Wirye within Gyeonggi Province, and then carefully review ways to operate a joint school district with Songpa in Seoul in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education."

In response, Mayor Lee said, "The city will do everything possible to bring about a dramatic improvement in the educational environment that citizens can feel. We will continue to work as 'one team' with the Provincial Office of Education to resolve all educational issues swiftly."