Gwangju Seo-gu Joins UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities

Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 15th that it has been selected as a new member city of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, becoming the first among the five autonomous districts.

Seo-gu was approved for membership by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in Hamburg, Germany, after domestic screening by the UNESCO Korean Commission and an international review committee.

Seogu District Office building. [Photo by Seogu]

The Global Network of Learning Cities is a policy-oriented international network established by UNESCO in 2015 to promote lifelong learning for all. As of 2023, it consists of 294 member cities from 76 countries that closely cooperate by sharing best practices, expertise, and lifelong education policies.

Seo-gu defines the entire region as one university and operates the "largest university in the world," where residents who wish to pursue lifelong education can learn anytime and anywhere.

Additionally, based on initiatives such as the "Barrier-Free Lifelong Learning City Project," which involves both disabled and non-disabled participants, Seo-gu provides diverse lifelong learning opportunities, attracting international attention.

Seo-gu also achieved the distinction of being re-designated as a lifelong learning city in 2023 by the Ministry of Education and was selected for three consecutive years as a lifelong learning city for the disabled in 2024.

Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, stated, "We will use this membership in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities as a stepping stone to provide differentiated content to residents through information exchange and cooperation among member countries, making Seo-gu a world-class lifelong learning city."

Shin Dongho, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr

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