Jang Seok-woong, Jeonnam Superintendent of Education, "Will Actively Utilize Closed Schools for Local Residents"

Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Jeonnam Education Office, announced at the expanded executive meeting that he will promote a school closure policy for local residents. Photo by Jeonnam Office of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam, expressed his determination to promote a school closure policy for the benefit of local residents.

On the 12th, at an expanded executive meeting, Superintendent Jang stated, “We need to completely change the provincial office of education’s school closure policy,” and added, “In the future, not only newly closed schools but also existing closed schools should, as much as possible, avoid being sold or leased to private entities.”

He continued, “Recently, a pilot project converting four schools in the province into ‘Gonggam Shelter’ has received a positive response from local residents.”

He further explained, “Geomundo, where three elementary schools were closed this time, is the site of the 1885 ‘Geomundo Incident.’ We plan to establish the Geomundo History Museum and history museums for the three closed schools there. We will also cooperate with local governments to create a complex facility used by local residents, including tennis courts and billiard rooms.”

Superintendent Jang emphasized, “Closed schools are valuable assets of the region and village. Except for those that local governments or village residents intend to use, the remaining closed schools will be preserved as much as possible and returned to the local community through policy changes.”

Meanwhile, Jeonnam currently has 707 closed schools, of which 407 are used as farmland, roads, parking lots, etc., 33 as practice sites, and 4 as school forests.

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