Yeongcheon City Inspects On-Site Preparations for Opening of Nation’s First “Autonomous Public High School with Targeted Enrollment for Children of Military Personnel,” Yeongcheon High School

Final inspections ahead of March reopening... Transition to coeducational system and nationwide freshman recruitment completed
Building an innovative public education model without private tutoring, expected to strengthen regional educational competitiveness

Yeongcheon City has begun on-site activities to ensure the successful launch of the nation’s first “Autonomous Public High School with Targeted Enrollment for Children of Military Personnel.”

Yeongcheon City announced that on the 26th it visited Yeongcheon High School (hereinafter Yeongcheon High School), which is scheduled to reopen in March after its transition, to conduct intensive inspections of the final preparation status and the educational environment.

This visit was arranged to encourage the first launch of a new educational model jointly developed by the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education, and to identify difficulties in the field.

View of Yeongcheon City Hall.

Designated in 2024 as an official Autonomous Public High School with Targeted Enrollment for Children of Military Personnel, Yeongcheon High School is set to undergo major changes starting this year.

First, it has been converted from a boys’ school to a coeducational school, and the results of new student recruitment have also been successful.

This year, the 144 new students consist of 66 children of military personnel recruited on a nationwide basis, 72 general students (from the Gyeongbuk and Yeongcheon regions), and additional students admitted outside the regular quota. Talented students from across the country are gathering in Yeongcheon, demonstrating high interest even before the reopening.

Based on operating dormitories for all students, Yeongcheon High School plans to establish a public education system that does not rely on private tutoring, and, as the only science-focused high school in the region, it will run distinctive curricula such as after-school subject programs, weekend talent and aptitude activities, and intensive vacation camps.

The school also plans to strengthen student-participation programs, including a preparatory academy for military academies, international exchange, a leadership academy, interdisciplinary subject-integration projects, and student-led debates.

In addition, during the Autonomous Public High School 2.0 designation period, the school will receive annual financial support of 100 million won each from the Ministry of Education and the Office of Education, and will be granted curriculum autonomy on par with special-purpose high schools and autonomous private high schools, enabling customized education that reflects students’ characteristics and needs.

On top of this, additional support from the Ministry of National Defense and Yeongcheon City is expected to create one of the best educational environments in the country.

An official from Yeongcheon City said, “By ensuring the successful establishment of Yeongcheon High School, we will do our utmost to provide diverse educational opportunities for local students and to grow into an educational city that nurtures both children of military personnel and local talent.”