On the 7th of the past month, Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang Free Economic Zone signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the prestigious British private school King’s College School (hereinafter referred to as King’s), aiming to establish a foreign educational institution in the Goyang area.
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan successfully obtained approval from the King’s board of directors after actively pursuing the attraction, including sending requests for the establishment of the King’s main campus over the past few months.
According to the BIEK (Representative Joseph Choi in Korea), who is in charge of establishing the King’s International School, “Thanks to Mayor Lee’s active efforts in attracting, we are now proceeding with attracting not only the elementary, middle, and high school international school but also a world-renowned university. Goyang is expected to become the leading education city in the future.”
In February, Goyang City was designated as an education development special zone by the Ministry of Education, aiming to establish gifted schools, science high schools, international schools, and global campuses to develop the city as a global education special zone representing South Korea and as an education hub in Northeast Asia.
King’s College School, founded by King George IV of the United Kingdom in 1829, is part of the Eton Group schools known for their academic excellence. It consistently ranks 1-2 among private schools in the UK and is ranked 5th among 5,700 IB (International Baccalaureate) schools worldwide.
IB education is a globally recognized education program for nurturing global talents demanded in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Recently, superintendents of education across the country have been introducing IB education as an alternative to public education. IB results are recognized as part of international admissions exams in universities worldwide.
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan expressed, “Since attracting businesses and educational infrastructure are closely related, I will strive to create conditions for attracting foreigners to settle in the Goyang Free Economic Zone to enhance investment attraction. I will also work on creating excellent jobs and educational environments in Goyang City to realize a sustainable premium city.”