Seoul's Gangdong-gu announced Wednesday that it has been re-designated a Lifelong Learning City for a third consecutive cycle, after receiving high marks in the Ministry of Education and National Institute for Lifelong Education's 2026 Lifelong Learning City Re-designation Evaluation.
The re-designation review targets local governments that have held the initial designation for at least four years, assessing their lifelong learning frameworks, project operations and outcomes over the preceding three years to determine whether the designation should be renewed.
Gangdong-gu was first designated a Lifelong Learning City in 2007 and has since consistently developed a range of lifelong education programs tailored to the district's characteristics and residents' needs.
In this cycle's evaluation, the district was recognized for the strong operational results of programs launched since 2023 and for building a sustainable lifelong learning foundation.
Key achievements that drew high marks included high-quality lectures delivered through the Gangdong Knowledge Plus platform, securing external funding through national and city grant competitions, expanding the network of neighborhood lifelong learning centers to strengthen community-based access, boosting resident outreach through diverse online and offline channels, and advancing a systematic program strategy grounded in the "2030 Gangdong-gu Lifelong Education Mid- to Long-Term Development Plan" research.
The re-designation carries particular significance as it follows Gangdong-gu's selection last year as a UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities member, together confirming the district's standing as a leading lifelong learning city both domestically and internationally.
"This re-designation is the result of consistently expanding our lifelong education infrastructure so that every resident can keep learning as part of daily life," District Mayor Lee Su-hee said. "We will continue building Gangdong into a dignified global lifelong learning city — one where learning is always within reach, wherever and whenever residents need it."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
