Chairperson Choi Hojung of Seoul Metropolitan Council: "Seoul Office of Education Must Actively Include Seongjin School Design Costs"

Immediate Budget Allocation Urged for the Office of Education

Choi Hojung, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, pointed out on the 10th that while the council has been actively carrying out legislative activities regarding the establishment of Seongjin School, a special school for students with disabilities planned in Seongdong-gu, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has been passive in preparing follow-up measures.

Cho Yongjun, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Photo by Cho Yongjun

Chairperson Choi criticized, "In order to promptly realize the earnest wishes of parents of students with physical disabilities and the request of Seongdong-gu residents for the construction of a community-linked facility, the design costs must be immediately reflected in the budget," adding, "The Office of Education is showing a complacent attitude by planning to include the design costs in the 2026 budget."

He emphasized that there is no reason to postpone the design costs, which are expected to amount to about 1.1 billion won, for the establishment of Seongjin School to next year's project. Chairperson Choi urged, "The budget for the design must be included in the second supplementary budget for the 2025 Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Special Account, which is scheduled to be submitted in November."

The Education Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council passed the shared property management plan related to the establishment of Seongjin School on the 9th, and this agenda is expected to be finalized at the plenary session on the 12th. Centered around council members representing Seongdong-gu, the council previously led an agreement to allocate 60% of the former Seongsu Technical High School site for Seongjin School and the remaining 40% for community facilities, reflecting various opinions from guardians and residents.

However, criticism has been raised that the Office of Education is not responding swiftly, as it plans to proceed with the design next year. Chairperson Choi stated, "The Office of Education should begin preparations for the design order starting from the 10th, and must include the design costs for Seongjin School when submitting the supplementary budget proposal in early November."

He further emphasized, "Even before the budget is passed, it is possible to announce the design service contract through the Public Procurement Service's Nara Marketplace," adding, "Once the supplementary budget is finalized in mid-December, a contract should be signed immediately so that full-scale design work can begin early next year."

Chairperson Choi reiterated, "Improving the learning environment for children with physical disabilities, easing the difficulties of parents, and providing much-needed facilities for the community are goals everyone shares," and strongly urged, "The Office of Education should not postpone follow-up procedures to next year but should take active administrative action immediately."

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