Groundbreaking for New Gwangsan High School in Gwangju... Aiming to Open in March 2027

Constructed with a 29.3 Billion Won Investment,
Four Above-Ground Floors Planned

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the tentatively named Gwangsan High School in Hanam-dong, Gwangsan-gu, on the 22nd, officially beginning the establishment of the new school.

The ceremony was attended by Lee Jeongseon, Superintendent of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, Kang Gijung, Mayor of Gwangju, and Myeong Jin, Chairperson of the Education and Culture Committee of the Gwangju City Council, among others.

On the 22nd, attendees pressed the groundbreaking button at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new Gwangsan High School (tentative name) held in Hanam-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju.

The establishment of Gwangsan High School has been a long-standing project for the Gwangsan-gu region. However, amid the nationwide trend of declining school-age population, passing the central investment review by the Ministry of Education was considered the biggest challenge for the new school’s approval.

Taking into account the strong demand from the local community for the establishment of Gwangsan High School, the city’s Office of Education has been in continuous discussions with the Ministry of Education since 2022. It also formed and operated a task force dedicated to the new high school in Gwangsan-gu, working to create the necessary conditions for its establishment.

In particular, regulations were revised to allow exemption from the Ministry of Education’s central investment review if the total project cost is kept below 30 billion won by utilizing the site of a closed school. During this process, the rules and guidelines for the “Financial Investment Projects of Local Educational Administrative Agencies” were amended to exclude land acquisition costs when calculating the total project cost.

Gwangsan High School will be constructed with a total project cost of 29.3 billion won, featuring four above-ground floors and a total floor area of 8,559 square meters. The target opening date is March 2027.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education expects that the opening of Gwangsan High School will help alleviate overcrowded classes in high schools in Gwangsan-gu and reduce the inconvenience caused by long-distance commuting.