Jeju's First Public Housing Utilizing Closed Schools: Residential and Educational Spaces Reborn

Province, Office of Education, and JPDC to Collaborate on Complex Development of Idle Sites
"Tomorrow Village Public Housing" to Be Established in Songdang-ri and Mureung-ri

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Provincial Office of Education, and Jeju Development Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding on the 9th at Samda Hall in the provincial government building to cooperate in supplying public housing through complex development utilizing idle sites such as closed schools. Photo by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

Closed schools in rural areas of Jeju, which had been left vacant, will be reborn as residential spaces for families with multiple children and newlyweds, as well as educational spaces enjoyed by students and local residents.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Provincial Office of Education, and Jeju Development Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding on the 9th at Samda Hall in the provincial government building to cooperate in supplying public housing through complex development utilizing idle sites such as closed schools.

In rural areas, the number of students is decreasing, and public rental housing is concentrated in urban areas, making it difficult for families with multiple children and newlyweds to move into rural regions.

This agreement marks the first case in the country of supplying public rental housing by utilizing closed school sites. The initiative aims to build housing on vacant land and revitalize existing facilities as educational spaces, thereby attracting students and revitalizing the local community at the same time.

Jeju Province and the Office of Education reached a consensus on this approach at the Education Administration Council in October last year.

Subsequently, a consultative body was formed and operated, including the provincial government, the Office of Education, Jeju Development Corporation, and public architects, and in August this year, the former Mureung Middle School and Songdang-ri sports site were selected as the final candidate sites.

Resident briefings were held in Songdang-ri and Mureung-ri in October, and in November, a resident consultative group was formed, including six representatives from the local community.

According to the agreement, the three organizations will establish "Tomorrow Village Public Housing" in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, and Mureung-ri, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo City by 2028. The development will include a total of about 60 public rental housing units, educational facilities, and community parks.

The Songdang-ri sports site (10,624 square meters) will house about 30 public rental units and a park. Songdang Elementary School is located approximately 500 meters away.

At the former Mureung Middle School site (14,581 square meters), about 30 public rental units will be built alongside educational facilities created by remodeling the existing school building and a park. Mureung Elementary and Middle School are about 50 meters away, and the increase in the student population is expected to help revitalize nearby schools. In particular, in Mureung-ri, the plan is to remodel rather than demolish the building, utilizing it as a space for both students and local residents.

To this end, Jeju Province will prepare a complex development supply plan and provide partial funding for the remodeling of closed schools and the creation of parks. The Office of Education will provide the land, reinvest the proceeds from the paid transfer of land into facility costs, and operate the educational facilities after completion. Jeju Development Corporation will be responsible for design and construction.

This project, with a total budget of 19.1 billion won, will begin its planning and design phase in January 2026, aiming for completion in December 2028.

From December this year to May next year, the resident consultative group will be operated to build consensus among local residents and to develop a detailed plan that maximizes the preservation and utilization of existing buildings.

Governor Oh Younghun stated, "This project, which we have proactively prepared for nearly two years, will become the nation's first case to take the lead in fulfilling a central government policy task."

Superintendent Kim Kwangsoo added, "I hope this memorandum of understanding will serve as a starting point for strengthening the connection between families, schools, and the local community, so that the laughter of our children will echo throughout Songdang-ri and Mureung-ri, creating a virtuous cycle that further revitalizes the local community."

Meanwhile, this project aligns with the central government's policy tasks of "expanding housing supply by utilizing public idle sites" and "supporting the revitalization of areas at risk of extinction." In October, the central government also decided to provide administrative and financial support for local governments and education offices to utilize closed schools through a "central-local memorandum of understanding for revitalizing the use of closed schools."

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