Establishment of Gwangju AI Gifted High School Accelerates

Opening Near GIST in March 2027

Gwangju AI Youngjae High School bird's-eye view. Provided by Gwangju City

The establishment of Gwangju AI Gifted High School, which is expected to become a cradle for nurturing artificial intelligence (AI) talent, is now in full swing.

According to Gwangju City on the 30th, the city will accelerate the school’s establishment following the recent completion of negotiations with the central government regarding the allocation of national and local funding required for the project. The funding ratio has been set at 70% from the national government and 30% from the local government.

Since last year, the city, together with the Ministry of Science and ICT, has been planning the establishment of a future-oriented science gifted school. With the inclusion of 3.175 billion KRW in design costs (national funding) in this year’s government budget, the project to establish Gwangju AI Gifted High School received a green light. However, disagreements over the funding ratio between national and local governments, as well as the absence of construction costs in the 2025 national budget, delayed the start of the design phase.

Nevertheless, after persistent negotiations with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the city recently finalized the funding agreement. The total project cost of 87.1 billion KRW will be split, with 70% (61.1 billion KRW) covered by the central government and the remaining 30% (26 billion KRW) by Gwangju City.

As a result, the project is expected to proceed rapidly with the goal of opening in March 2027. Since being designated as exempt from the preliminary feasibility study in August, the project is currently under review by the Office for Science and Technology Innovation for the appropriateness of its business plan. The total project cost is expected to be finalized as early as February next year. Afterward, Gwangju City plans to collaborate closely with Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) to launch a design competition and begin construction in the second half of 2025.

The AI Gifted High School will be built on a site adjacent to the AI Convergence Complex in Cheomdan 3 District, Buk-gu (468 Oryong-dong), with a total floor area of 15,990 square meters. The school will consist of two buildings: a learning and research building and a dormitory, spanning from one basement level to five above-ground floors.

Mayor Kang Gijung stated, "We will accelerate follow-up procedures such as design through close cooperation with the government and GIST," adding, "We aim to develop Gwangju as a leading AI city equipped with robust talent cultivation, abundant infrastructure including the AI Data Center, and a concentration of companies with unlimited growth potential, achieving a perfect synergy of talent, infrastructure, and industry."

Meanwhile, Gwangju AI Gifted High School plans to recruit 150 students and will implement a credit-based, non-graded system; offer specialized education in the AI field and collaborative programs with GIST; and operate a school principal-led specialized curriculum.

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