By Park Jong-il, The Herald Business Yongsan-gu in Seoul has launched a full-scale effort to develop internationally minded future talent, centering on the Yongsan Global Education Support Center (3rd floor, 47 Hangang-daero 71-gil), as it works toward its key campaign pledge of securing designation as an education internationalization special zone.
The district is pursuing the special zone designation as its top priority in building an "international future education city" — the first among Seoul's autonomous districts to do so. The initiative draws on Yongsan's distinctive character as a hub of foreign embassies and a meeting point of diverse global cultures, with the aim of creating an optimal learning environment where students can develop an international outlook.
The Yongsan Global Education Support Center, which opened last October, serves as the forward base for realizing the campaign pledge. The center is building a cooperative framework with the district education office and local schools to establish a governance structure for education internationalization.
The center recently launched an official website offering information on its various programs and an online application service.
Programs are organized into six categories: Y-Leader growth education, global talent development, college admissions support, parent education support, community-linked projects, and networking.
A standout offering is "Global Leader School," a program that simulates the UN General Assembly to help students build competitiveness on the international stage. Participants can develop a range of skills including global citizenship, self-directed learning, and digital and AI literacy. The center also plans to build an AI-based English learning platform to help students strengthen both basic conversational ability and digital skills.
The center is also positioning itself as a hub for specialized college admissions counseling. Services include personalized admissions consultations, study strategy coaching, psychological counseling, regular college information sessions, and special lectures on university entrance strategies. Through these offerings, the district aims to create an environment where everyone has equal access to quality education and counseling, narrowing the education gap and raising the overall competitiveness of education in the area.
"Education is the most valuable investment we can make for future generations and the core asset that determines a city's sustainable competitiveness," Yongsan-gu District Mayor Kim Gyeong-dae said. "Centered on the Yongsan Global Education Support Center, we will build an educational environment where students can nurture their dreams on the world stage and lead the future." He added that through the push for education internationalization special zone designation, the district aims to transform Yongsan into a leading international future education city representing South Korea, and that he would do his utmost to ensure every child has equal access to quality education without discrimination.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
