"United for the Children": Wando-gun, Office of Education, and Education Welfare Forum Hold Noteworthy Trilateral Meeting

Trilateral Meeting Held to Ensure Success of the Education Special Zone
Strengthening AI Education and Neulbom Schools...
Full Commitment Toward Official Special Zone Designation in 2027
Blueprint Unveiled for 29 Billion Won Lifelong Education Center
"Coordination With the County Needed to Secure the Site"

Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, and the Wando Office of Education are mobilizing all administrative resources to ensure the successful establishment of the "Education Development Special Zone," which has a total budget of 26.4 billion won, as well as to overcome the crisis of declining school-age population.

According to the Wando Office of Education on March 19, the previous day, a trilateral meeting was held for the advancement of education in Wando, in cooperation with the Wando-gun Population and Employment Policy Office and the Wando Education Welfare Forum.

More than 30 participants—including Wando Superintendent Lee Cheolyeong, Wando County Council member Choi Jeonguk, Wando-gun Population and Employment Policy Office Director Jeong Inho, officials from both organizations, and forum executives—gathered to discuss in depth ways to expand regionally tailored educational infrastructure and nurture future talent.

Wando Office of Education held a tripartite meeting for the development of education in Wando County, together with the Population and Job Policy Office of Wando County and the Wando Education Welfare Forum. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

The main agenda item was, without a doubt, the progress of the "Wando Education Development Special Zone." This project, which has adopted the vision of "Education Embracing the Sea, Wando Leading the Future Marine Industry," involves a total budget of 26.4 billion won. The budget is shared as follows: 64% from the Provincial Office of Education, 28% from Wando-gun, and 8% from Wando Fisheries High School.

Jeong Inho, Director of the Population and Employment Policy Office, explained, "The Education Development Special Zone is a four-year project that began with designation as a pilot area in 2025, will undergo a second-year performance evaluation this year, and is scheduled for official designation as a special zone in 2027. This year is particularly important for receiving a positive evaluation, which is crucial for the project's success."

According to the 2026 budget proposal for the Education Development Special Zone, which was released during the meeting, the Provincial Office of Education and Wando-gun will each contribute 1.57 billion won, for a combined total of 3.141 billion won.

The specific initiatives include: ▲ Operation of regionally customized "Neulbom Schools" (550 million won); ▲ Jeonnam-style joint curriculum and cross-level school linkage education (260 million won); ▲ AI-based digital education and future-leading creative convergence talent education (1.34 billion won); and ▲ Start-up and regionally tailored industry talent cultivation (420 million won).

Additionally, to foster a correct sense of history among Wando students, the "2026 Wando Ui (Righteousness) Education" program will be conducted year-round for elementary, middle, and high school students in the area. This includes education on the 5·18 Democratization Movement, local history, and the study of historical figures such as Jang Bogo and Yi Sun-sin. In June, the "2026 Wando Career and College Fair" will be held at the Cheonghaejin Sports Center, with around 800 participants, providing customized career mentoring and information on university departments.

A blueprint was also unveiled for the expansion of large-scale educational and cultural infrastructure in the region. On the same day, the Wando Office of Education announced plans to build the "Jeonnam Office of Education Wando Lifelong Education Center" with a total project cost of 29 billion won, aiming to open in December 2030.

The Lifelong Education Center will serve as a complex community hub to bridge the educational gap with urban areas, featuring experiential models that incorporate marine and island-specific content, as well as ESG-friendly facilities. However, close coordination with Wando-gun remains necessary to secure the site for the center.

County Council member Choi Jeonguk stated, "As the local community has continuously researched ways to advance education, close cooperation between the county and the office of education is essential. I hope this meeting will serve as an opportunity to promote the Education Development Special Zone project, which has attracted significant interest from parents."

Superintendent Lee Cheolyeong said, "I sincerely thank both the county and the forum for their active support for the education of Wando's children. I am confident that the Education Development Special Zone project will foster mutual communication and growth, and I ask for your continued interest in the upcoming career and college fair and other events."

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