"Request for Cooperation in Establishing a Middle School in Olympic Park Foreon Complex" Gangdong-gu Mayor Meets Deputy Prime Minister

District Mayor Lee Suhee Meets Deputy Prime Minister Lee Juho on the 16th
Requests Guarantee of Learning Rights Including Establishment of Dunchon-dong Urban Campus

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, met with Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, to request cooperation for the establishment of a middle school within the Olympic Park Foreon complex and the guarantee of a safe learning environment. Provided by Gangdong-gu.

Seoul's Gangdong-gu announced that District Mayor Lee Soo-hee met with Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho on the 16th to actively request the establishment of a middle school within the Olympic Park Foreon (Dunchon Jugong) complex.

On the same day, Mayor Lee asked Deputy Prime Minister Lee to actively cooperate so that the establishment of a middle school within the Olympic Park Foreon complex, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of November this year and will have the largest move-in nationwide, can be promptly promoted.

Olympic Park Foreon is the largest reconstruction complex in the country, with 12,032 households and about 30,000 residents expected to move in. Since the designation of the maintenance zone in 2006, the establishment of a new middle school within the complex had been planned through the donation of school land, but in 2020, the Ministry of Education's central investment review decided the establishment of the middle school was "inappropriate" due to a decrease in the school-age population, resulting in the cancellation of the school establishment.

Subsequently, in October last year, Seoul City established a plan to "improve the decision-making on school facilities for stable promotion of maintenance projects and efficient land use" and was considering converting the school land within the complex into public open space.

In this regard, Gangdong-gu issued a statement last month requesting a re-examination of the conversion of the school land into public open space until after the apartment move-in is completed, citing that unlike at the time of the 2020 central investment review, the three-year mandatory residence requirement has been postponed, causing a rapid increase in rental units, to accurately grasp the number of school-age children.

Mayor Lee also conveyed this situation and the district's position through a meeting with the Seoul Mayor. Additionally, with Seoul City deciding to supply long-term rental housing for newlyweds in this complex, the actual number of school-age children is expected to increase further.

Seoul City also stated that it will maintain the school land as is until the Ministry of Education's central investment review is completed in April next year and will not hesitate to provide support if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 12th of last month that it is considering establishing an urban campus to guarantee the learning rights of local students. Furthermore, on the 24th, it announced plans to establish the "(tentative name) Dunchon-dong Middle School Urban Campus" within the complex, aiming to open in March 2029 after the Ministry of Education's central investment review in April next year.

During the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Lee Ju-ho, Mayor Lee said, "Currently, accurately grasping the actual number of school-age children after move-in is the most important. Due to the recent postponement of the mandatory residence requirement and the supply of rental housing for newlyweds within the apartment complex, the number of school-age children recognized by the prospective residents' council and others is not insignificant." He also requested, "Even if a middle school is newly established, it will take a long time until it opens, so students increasing after move-in will inevitably be distributed to surrounding schools. Please actively work to alleviate overcrowded classes and improve the learning environment in nearby schools."

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