'Gyeongju International Trade Meister High School' Stands Tall in Fishing Village, Taking First Step as Regional Prestige School

On the 11th, Gyeongju Mayor Jun Nak-yeong Visits Schools for Quarantine Inspection and Student Encouragement

Mayor Ju Nak-yeong of Gyeongju City is seen encouraging students during his visit to Korea International Trade Meister High School on the 11th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] A small high school in the fishing village of Gampo-eup, Gyeongju City, Gyeongbuk Province, which was on the verge of closure due to a decrease in the number of students, has transformed into a Meister high school that trains prospective experts in the field of international trade, and is now full of vitality.

Designated last year as the 49th Meister high school nationwide, Korea International Trade Meister High School, like other high schools, experienced delayed attendance due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) but recently welcomed 60 new students, taking its first step toward becoming a prestigious school.

On the 11th, Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju City, and Seo Jeong-won, Superintendent of Gyeongju Office of Education, visited Korea International Trade Meister High School in the remote area of Gampo, Gyeongju, to inspect school operations and facility disinfection and to encourage the students.

A Meister high school is a vocational school leading the field with both knowledge and practical skills. There are 52 such schools nationwide and 6 in Gyeongbuk. Although they are divided into various fields such as agriculture and industry, the designation of a Meister high school in the field of international trade is unique.

Korea International Trade Meister High School will receive 32.2 billion KRW in funding over the next five years from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Gyeongbuk Province, Gyeongbuk Office of Education, and Gyeongju City to build new practice buildings and dormitories and remodel the main school building.

Given the high demand for export-import trade personnel in the adjacent Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Ulsan, and Busan regions, there has been a continuous need to train personnel equipped with foreign language skills, trade practice, and understanding of the relevant industries, indicating open potential for development. Even before opening, 78 institutions have already signed business agreements and industry-academia cooperation contracts.

In last fall’s recruitment, 106 applicants competed for 60 spots, showing an average competition rate of 1.77 to 1. This was higher than the average competition rate of 1.26 to 1 for the six Meister high schools in the province, drawing significant attention from students.

On this day, Mayor Joo Nak-young encouraged the students, saying, "We will do our best to improve the educational environment so that excellent talents in the Gyeongju area can receive outstanding education and find good jobs within the region without needing to go outside."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.