New Geomdan and Yeongjong District Offices of Education to Open Next Year in Incheon... "Five West Sea Islands Dedicated Center" to Begin Operations

The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 24th that it plans to establish new district offices of education in the Geomdan and Yeongjong areas in order to respond to rapidly increasing local demand for education and to strengthen educational autonomy.

To this end, on March 1 it will launch separate preparatory centers for the opening of the Geomdan District Office of Education and the Yeongjong District Office of Education, which will be responsible for all administrative and practical preparations until their official launch next year. The Preparatory Center for the Opening of the Yeongjong District Office of Education will be set up at the East Asia International Education Institute of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, and the Preparatory Center for the Opening of the Geomdan District Office of Education will be established at Incheon Wondang Elementary School.

The Geomdan and Yeongjong district offices of education will each be separated and made independent from the Western and Southern district offices of education, respectively, and the exact staffing levels and budget size of these new district offices of education will be determined based on the results of a commissioned research study and public hearings.

Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education

Once the Geomdan and Yeongjong district offices of education are established, the number of district offices of education under the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education will increase from the current five to seven: Southern (Jung District, Dong District, Michuhol District, Ongjin County), Northern (Bupyeong District, Gyeyang District), Eastern (Namdong District, Yeonsu District), Western (Seo District), and Ganghwa (Ganghwa County).

The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education also plans to transfer the work related to the five West Sea Islands, which is currently handled by the Southern District Office of Education, to the "Five West Sea Islands Dedicated Center," which will be launched on March 1.

In addition, it plans to review a plan to change the current names of the district offices of education, which are based on the four cardinal directions of east, west, south, and north, to names that better reflect local identity, in line with the reorganization of Incheon’s administrative structure scheduled for this July.

The city of Incheon will shift from the current structure of 2 counties and 8 districts to 2 counties and 9 districts in July. The inland areas of Jung District and Dong District will be integrated into Jemulpo District, while Yeongjong Island in Jung District will be separated and established as Yeongjong District. Seo District will be divided into West Sea District and Geomdan District.

An official from the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education said, "Ahead of the launch of Geomdan District and Yeongjong District, we will prepare the educational administration and support system to align with these changes and address educational needs directly in the field," adding, "We will provide an educational environment in which students on the five West Sea Islands do not feel left out."