Jeju Aims to Become a Northeast Asian Education Hub by Building Global Education City

June 16, 2009, Jeju, South Korea – the groundbreaking ceremony for Jeju Global Education City will be held on June 17 at 4 pm in Jeju Special Self-governing Province. This nationally-funded project is designed to attract Korean and Asian students by providing world-class global educational opportunities in an English-speaking environment at internationally renowned schools and high quality education institutions. Minister of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs, Mr. Chung Jong-Hwan, Vice Minister for General Affairs Prime Minister’s Office Mr. Kwon Tae-Shin, Governor of Jeju Special Self-governing Province Mr. Kim Tae-Hwan and a chairman and CEO of Jeju Free International City Development Center Mr. Byon Jong-Il will participate in the ceremony to celebrate the start of the project. 

Jeju Global Education City plans to open three schools (two private and one public) for domestic and international students by 2011 and complete constructing four elementary schools, five middle schools and three high schools by 2015. This project will mark the first time an international school in Korea will be permitted to admit domestic students up to 100% of their enrollment. The Jeju Global Education City project was conceived by the South Korean government in order to meet the demand for overseas study in the Asian Pacific region, attract internationally prestigious educational institutions and build a premier education city that provides a unique, immersive environment.

In 1995, the number of Korean students who went overseas to study English was 27,668, which sharply increased to 127,100 by 2008, the highest in the world since 2006. Despite such increase in the number of outbound Korean students, as well as US$ 16 billion spent on private education for learning English, Korean students’ TOEFL Speaking Evaluation ranks 136rd out of total 163 countries, and other issues such as ‘goose dads’, a nickname for Korean fathers who are financially supporting their children’s overseas English education continue to worsen. To develop a fundamental solution for such issues, the government of the Republic of Korea announced Jeju Global Education City Development Plan in December 2006, and designated the project among seven major national projects in September 2008.  

Demand is already high for this type of international school as Korea has led in countries sending children to the US for study for the past three years. Also its market attractiveness was proven through a survey conducted by JDC (Jeju Free International City Development Center) in 2008 with middle and higher-income families to identify their intention on studying overseas and potential interest in Jeju Global Education City. The survey found 450,000 respondents reacted favorably toward Jeju Global Education City among the 910,000 who intend to send their children abroad for study. Considering the growth of international schools in Asian countries, market demand can stretch to nearby Asian regions as well. 

The autonomy to choose the curriculum, textbooks, admission process, and credit hours, all of which are regulated by South Korea’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology for other schools, is granted to the international schools in Jeju Global Education City. This commitment to deregulation and the surging demand for international education is attracting the attention of prestigious foreign private schools in setting up a branch in Jeju Special Self-governing Province. It is expected that the advanced curriculum and teaching methods, especially for English-language education, will eventually be modeled and spread nationwide.

In addition to the twelve international schools, the city will have comprehensive facilities to complement English education center for English teachers to practice and improve teaching methods; and education, art and cultural complex that benchmarks the Chautauqua Institution in New York City providing continuing education programs in English all around year. All government buildings, hospitals, and shopping centers will be capable of communicating in English to create a comprehensive English-language environment. Sites for foreign colleges and graduate schools have also been set aside.

With this project, Jeju Global Education City intends to provide an unmatched environment for a well-rounded English education. Sports and leisure activities taking advantages of the island’s natural resources are available as well. Jeju, which has World Natural Heritage sites designated by UNESCO, is renowned as a place to learn and experience nature as well as being a clean city accredited by WHO. Based on the strengths of considerable tourism and educational resources, Jeju Global Education City will be promoted as a premier destination for international education in East Asia. Mr. Byon, Jong-il, the Chairman and CEO of JDC, reaffirmed such vision: “Jeju Global Education City will not only meet the demand for quality education for the English language domestically, but also be positioned as global educational hub of Asia, attracting a number of students from China, Japan, Taiwan, and other nations from southeastern Asia”, he said. Jeju is strategically located within two hour’s flight from five cities with a population of over ten million - Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Tokyo.

Jeju Global Education City had an MOU signing with North London Collegiate School in the UK this April and discusses with other internationally renowned schools as well. The Jeju Global Education City will be constructed in Daejeong-eup area, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Special Self-governing Province on a site of 3,793km². The construction will be completed by 2015 at a cost of approximately US$1,370 million, consisting of US$313 million for site work, US$629 million for public facilities, and US$515 million for the education, art and cultural complex. The city will accommodate around 22,000 residents and 5,800 households.   

Contact Information:

KPR & Associates Inc.           Suna Park (Tel : +82-2-3406-2279/010-7723-1172)

                                           Joseph Chung (Tel: +82-2-3406-2239/010-6440-1315)