Jeonnam Rural Agricultural and Fishing Village Study Abroad Program, 291 Participants Nationwide

The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education announced on the 5th that a total of 291 students (191 households) from across the country, including Seoul, the metropolitan area, Gwangju, Busan, and Gyeongnam, participated in the recruitment of rural and fishing village exchange students for the first semester of the 2024 academic year.

Looking at the exchange students by school level, there were 254 elementary students (87.3%) and 37 middle school students (12.7%). By region, Seoul accounted for 138 students (47.4%), Incheon and Gyeonggi 69 students (23.7%), with the metropolitan area making up more than 70% of the total.

Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education

Additionally, there were participants from Gwangju (31 students, 10.7%), Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (22 students, 7.6%), Daegu and Gyeongbuk (17 students, 5.8%), and Daejeon, Chungnam, and Chungbuk (14 students, 4.8%). The participating students were assigned to 46 small schools in 15 cities and counties within the province.

The Office of Education analyzed that the number of long-term exchange students, whose entire families have relocated to the region and lived there for more than three years, has increased each semester, totaling 97 students (33.3%). This indicates that the ‘settlement-type long-term exchange’ policy, which has been a focus during the fourth term of the resident-elected administration, is gradually becoming more active.

Superintendent Kim Dae-jung stated, “The rural and fishing village exchange student program brings hope to Jeonnam’s small schools struggling with a declining school-age population and will be actively supported to develop into a policy that revitalizes mutual exchange between urban and rural areas.”

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