Seoul Middle and High School Entrants to Receive 300,000 Won Each Starting Next Year (Comprehensive)

City, Education Office, and Autonomous District Joint Burden... Considering Upper Limit for School Uniform Purchase Cost
Regardless of Guardian's Income... Decided to Provide via ZeroPay Points

Seo Jeong-hyeop, Acting Mayor of Seoul, announced on the morning of the 29th at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul, that 300,000 KRW will be provided as entrance preparation funds to new students entering middle and high schools for the 2021 academic year. From left: Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu; Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education; Seo Jeong-hyeop, Acting Mayor; Lee Dong-jin, Mayor of Dobong-gu.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Starting next year, all students entering middle and high schools in Seoul will receive 300,000 KRW as an 'admission preparation fund.' This amount is regardless of the guardian's income. The budget will cost 41 billion KRW annually. The fund will be provided as Zero Pay points and can only be used for admission-related expenses such as school uniforms and books.

Seo Jeong-hyeop, Acting Mayor of Seoul, said at a press conference on the 29th, "Following free meals for all grades in elementary, middle, and high schools and tuition support, we expect to realize complete free education and universal educational welfare by alleviating the burden of admission preparation." Currently, 12 cities and provinces nationwide and 4 autonomous districts in Seoul provide support for school uniform costs, but this is the first time nationwide that an admission preparation fund, which can be used more broadly beyond uniforms, will be provided to all new students.

The first recipients are estimated to be about 136,700 new students entering middle and high schools located in Seoul next year. Students who have their registered address in Seoul but attend schools in other cities or provinces, as well as students residing in other cities or provinces but attending schools in Seoul, will all be supported. However, if students receive uniform support or similar benefits from other cities or provinces, duplicate support will not be provided.

The amount of 300,000 KRW was set considering last year's Ministry of Education's upper limit for joint uniform purchases (301,163 KRW). The total required budget is 41 billion KRW, which will be shared by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, autonomous districts, and the education office at a ratio of 3:2:5. Seoul plans to include its share of 12.3 billion KRW in the 'Education Expense Subsidy Project' in next year's budget proposal. Once this budget passes the Seoul Metropolitan Council, payments can begin as early as next year.

The payment method involves charging 300,000 KRW worth of Zero Pay points?a payment method for small business stores?onto the mobile phones of the student or their parents. Usage is restricted to purchasing items necessary for admission preparation, such as uniforms and books.

However, concerns have been raised about whether additional funding can be secured, as the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has recently been continuously requesting increased government budgets due to financial burdens from free meals and free high school education.

At the press conference, Acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyeop, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, and Lee Dong-jin, Chairman of the Seoul City District Mayors' Council (Mayor of Dobong District), said, "In the unprecedented livelihood crisis triggered by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), we have made this decision after careful consideration to reduce the economic burden on parents and firmly protect children's right to education."

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