Lee Hyun-jae, Hanam Mayoral Candidate: "Will Usher in the Era of 1,000 Admissions to Major Universities by 2030"

Lee Hyun-jae, Hanam Mayoral Candidate
Announces Four Key Pledges to Strengthen Educational Competitiveness
Holds Meetings with Hanam School Operation Committee and Others
Reaffirms Pledge to Establish Hanam Office of Education Within the Ye

Lee Hyun-jae, the People Power Party candidate for Mayor of Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province, has unveiled a blueprint to transform Hanam into the top educational city in the Seoul metropolitan area, signaling the start of his full-fledged education-focused campaign.

On May 11, Candidate Lee held consecutive meetings with the Hanam City School Operation Committee and the Parents’ Association, where he officially announced his “four key pledges” to strengthen Hanam’s educational competitiveness. Notably, Im Tae-hee, the candidate for Gyeonggi Provincial Superintendent of Education, attended the meetings and pledged strong policy cooperation to resolve Hanam’s educational challenges.

Hanam Mayor candidate Lee Hyun-jae is holding consecutive meetings on the 11th with the Hanam City School Operation Committee and the Parents' Association. Photo provided by candidate Lee Hyun-jae

During the meetings, Candidate Lee stated, “Through the proactive ‘Hanam-style education model,’ we achieved a remarkable result, increasing the number of students admitted to major Seoul universities and medical and pharmaceutical fields from 128 in 2022 to 387 in 2026—more than tripling in just four years.”

He continued, “Now, we will move toward an even greater goal: achieving 1,000 admissions to major universities by 2030. By building a comprehensive education ladder from elementary to high school entrance exams, we will establish Hanam as one of the ‘eight prestigious school districts’ in the Seoul metropolitan area.”

The core of the four pledges announced by Candidate Lee centers on administrative independence and bold budget support.

The establishment of the Hanam Office of Education Support within this year has been promised as the “top priority project” by Superintendent candidate Im Tae-hee. The plan is to complete its opening in the second half of this year, thereby creating an independent education administration system for Hanam. Candidate Lee has proactively secured a temporary office on the sixth floor of the Comprehensive Welfare Town, dedicating significant effort to the separation and establishment process. With the opening scheduled for the latter half of this year, Hanam’s own independent education support administration system will be completed.

In addition, the city will focus its budget on improving the educational environment by increasing support for high school dinner expenses from 100 million won to 300 million won, and doubling the budget for high school academic achievement from 500 million won to 1 billion won.

Following the opening of Hanhol Middle School, Candidate Lee’s first approved project upon taking office, he also plans to focus administrative efforts to ensure that Misa 4 High School opens on schedule in March 2027. Furthermore, with the related laws revised, a “city-type campus” will be established to alleviate overcrowded classes in Wirye. This will include forming a promotion council that reflects the opinions of the education support office and local residents.

To create an educational environment rivaling that of Gangnam, investments will be made in both English and future-oriented education. This includes: △ Opening a Children’s English Library in October 2026, featuring native-speaking instructors and a digital experience center, expanding specialized programs like the “Children’s English Campus” at Sinjang, Narul, Gam-il, and Wirye Libraries; △ Opening a new Children’s Hall in 2027, with an agreement to operate the world-renowned career experience theme park “Kidzania,” aiming to establish the nation’s best children’s center; △ Operating five regional “Library Literacy Classrooms” for elementary students; △ Expanding admission support grants, among other initiatives.

Furthermore, a pilot operation of the “Kkum-narae Shuttle Bus,” a dedicated circular bus route for children connecting the Children’s Hall, Children’s English Library, and Children’s Traffic Center, will be launched. This service will be conveniently accessible not only in the old downtown area but also in Wirye and Gam-il.

Meanwhile, at the School Operation Committee meeting, parents proposed measures such as △ increasing meal expenses, △ standardizing high school admissions, △ strengthening ethics education in AI education, and △ supporting the Real Festival. Candidate Lee stated, “Core demands, such as increasing meal expenses, have already been specifically included in my pledges, and I will actively review other suggestions like supporting the Real Festival to reflect them in our policies.”

Candidate Lee further emphasized, “Education shapes the future of Hanam. For Hanam’s development, education must become its greatest competitive edge. I will fulfill every promise to make Hanam the ‘top city in the Seoul metropolitan area’ with the best educational support in Korea.”

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