914 Students Accepted to College Through Seoul's 'Seoul Run' Education Welfare Program... All-Time High

A 16.8% Increase from Last Year: 914 Students Accepted
'Seoul Run 3.0' to Launch This Year
Support Expanded with AI Career and Admissions Coach

The college acceptance rate for students who prepared for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) using 'Seoul Run,' Seoul's leading education welfare policy, has been steadily increasing. Starting this year, the city will expand its programs, including career campuses and career and admissions consulting.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on March 19, out of 1,477 CSAT test-takers who studied through 'Seoul Run' last year, 914 were accepted to universities for the 2026 academic year. This represents a 16.8% increase from the previous year, marking an all-time high.

Major achievements of Seoul Run, Seoul city's representative education welfare policy. Seoul City

From this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will expand its programs. In particular, new content such as artificial intelligence (AI) skills development and coding will be introduced, aiming to evolve into a more robust integrated platform called 'Seoul Run 3.0,' which supports learners comprehensively from academic assistance to career and employment guidance.

To address the increasingly diverse career and employment needs of youth, the city will also operate 'Career Campuses' in partnership with universities, youth facilities, and specialized career experience institutions. This year, 18 institutions will offer hands-on programs in fields such as aviation, semiconductors, robotics, and beauty, providing around 2,000 young people with opportunities for career exploration. The number of partner institutions is expected to expand to about 50 in the future.

A special 'Arts and Physical Education Class' will be offered for underprivileged students aspiring to enter arts or sports, giving them opportunities to explore their aptitudes and potential careers. The 'Career and Admissions AI Coach,' officially introduced this year after a pilot project last year, will use AI-based psychological assessments, academic performance analyses, and mock interviews to provide customized roadmaps for college and career planning. In addition, one-on-one personalized consulting (Fit Consulting) with professional consultants will help students systematically formulate their academic and career strategies.

For young people about to enter the workforce, the city will offer 'Career Mentoring for Newcomers.' This includes job mentoring with active professionals and special lectures on communication. In collaboration with education company Eduwill, 12 additional certification courses will be provided, including makeup artist, gas technician, and the Korea Economic Daily TESAT, a nationally accredited economic literacy test, thereby expanding job training to enhance youth employment capabilities.

This year, three specialized mentoring programs will be newly introduced to support learning and motivation: 'Reading Mentoring,' which fosters literacy through curriculum-linked reading activities (200 participants per year); 'Essay Mentoring,' which offers admissions strategy and one-on-one feedback (around 50 participants); and 'All-Care Mentoring,' which provides step-by-step support based on students' motivation and emotional state (around 400 participants).

Additionally, collaboration with EBS will expand the provision of educational materials. The existing 100,000 won textbook coupon support will be replaced with an 'EBS eBook Integrated Pass,' allowing all Seoul Run members unlimited access to over 500 EBS e-books.

The 'Seoul Run' educational welfare model is spreading nationwide. Starting with North Chungcheong Province in 2024, the city has signed agreements to bridge educational gaps with six regional and local governments, including Pyeongchang County, Gimpo City, Incheon Metropolitan City, Taebaek City, and Yecheon County. Most recently, a business agreement for 'Yeongam Run' was signed with Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province.

Participant satisfaction has continued to rise, increasing from 87 points in 2023 to 90 points last year. Of those who gained college admission or employment through Seoul Run, 95% responded that they would recommend the program to others. Students who participated in 'Seoul Run Mentoring' achieved up to 1.6 times higher learning progress rates compared to non-participants, and both mentors (90%) and mentees (94%) reported high satisfaction.

Jinwoo Jeong, Director of Lifelong Education at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "Seoul Run has begun to prove its effectiveness across the board, from increasing college admissions for three consecutive years to reducing private education costs, improving learning capabilities, and increasing employment rates. Starting this year, we will further develop the platform into a comprehensive support system that not only enhances learning through AI skills development but also practically supports admissions, career exploration, and employment in line with the changing times."

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