540 Seoul Students Join Rural Study-Abroad Program for First Semester...Up 43% from Previous Year

Support period extended from 6 months to 1 year

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 23rd that a total of 540 students from Seoul will participate in the rural study-abroad program in the first semester of the 2026 academic year. This represents a 43.6% increase compared to the previous year (376 students).

The rural study-abroad program is an urban-rural cooperative education initiative in which students from Seoul live and study for a certain period at schools in rural areas. It provides diverse learning opportunities by enhancing ecological sensitivity and offering experiences in local communities.

In the first semester of this year, in addition to Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Jeollanam-do, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Incheon Metropolitan City newly joined as an operating region, bringing the total number of cooperating study-abroad regions to five metropolitan and provincial areas.

Among the 540 students participating this semester, 205 are new participants and 335 are continuing participants. The average annual continuation rate is about 70%, indicating a steady level of participation demand each semester.

In terms of participation type, the vast majority (94%) are in the family-stay type, in which students relocate and live together with their families, while a smaller portion (6%) will take part in the rural study-abroad program through study-abroad centers.

Reflecting on-site needs for continuity in the curriculum, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has decided to extend the support period for the rural study-abroad program from the current six months to one year units starting from the 2026 academic year.

Students scheduled to participate will complete address change and school transfer procedures and then begin their rural study-abroad life at local rural schools in each region from the first semester of the 2026 academic year.