Jeonnam Office of Education to Promote Management and Utilization Plans for Closed School Properties

Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education is actively pursuing measures to expand resident participation and attract investment from private and public institutions for the efficient management of closed school properties.

According to the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on the 24th, out of 854 closed schools in the Jeonnam region, 733 have already been sold or are being used by the office itself, 43 are currently leased, and 78 remain unused. In response, the office plans to make it mandatory to establish utilization plans before school closures to reduce the number of unused closed schools and to strengthen the management system for these properties.

In addition to the currently operating "Closed School Inspection Day" (held on the 9th of every month), a new weekly inspection system will be introduced in cooperation with residents’ councils, targeting closed schools in remote island and mountainous areas that are difficult to inspect regularly. Through this, facility conditions, safety checks, and records of external visitors will be monitored at least three times a month, and the results will be reflected in closed school management policies.

To address issues such as building deterioration and declining property value caused by delays in repurposing closed schools, the office will establish utilization plans before closure, hold explanatory sessions and public hearings to incorporate the opinions of local residents and experts, and make final decisions after reviewing feasibility.

To ensure the sustainable use of closed schools, the office will identify tailored public contest categories to encourage participation from various organizations, including local governments, environmental groups, private and social enterprises, foundations, and corporate social responsibility organizations, and will actively promote these opportunities.

Major proposed uses include: ▲ creation of local cultural centers and welfare facilities ▲ spaces for youth startups and social enterprises ▲ startup and research and development hubs ▲ rural experience centers and regionally specialized tourist attractions ▲ educational material sharing centers and lifelong learning platforms. Additionally, the office plans to utilize closed schools as social welfare facilities, cultural centers, income-generating facilities, and shared-use facilities, reflecting the needs of local governments and residents. To this end, support will be provided to ensure smooth leasing, taking into account lease periods and usage conditions.

Oh Junheon, Head of the Finance Division, stated, "Through this closed school utilization plan, we aim to establish a sustainable model in which the local community can directly participate," adding, "We will actively cooperate to ensure that closed schools are not left neglected but instead contribute to regional development."

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