Mu-hak Girls' High School, an 86-Year Tradition, to Become Coeducational... Alumni Association Vows Strong Opposition

Seoul Education Office Approves Coeducational Conversion for Eight Middle and High Schools
Hwigyeong Girls' Middle and High Schools and Songgok High School to Undergo Mid-to-Long-Term Review
Democratic Party Welcomes Move: "Mu-hak Girls' High School to Be Fostered as a Prestigious School"
Alumni Protest: "Cancel the Coeducational Conversion"

Mu-hak Girls' High School, with an 86-year history, will begin the process of converting to a coeducational system starting next year.

On July 30, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education officially announced that out of 11 schools that had applied for coeducational conversion for the 2027-2028 academic years, a total of 8 schools were selected as final candidates for conversion.

This initiative, which provides a total of 300 million won in conversion support funds over three years per school, was implemented for several purposes: fostering schools of appropriate size in response to a sharp decline in the school-age population; improving commuting conditions; addressing gender ratio imbalances; and expanding student school-choice options.

In May, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education comprehensively reviewed the 11 applicant schools, evaluating criteria such as: student assignment plans and allocation conditions; the necessity of converting to a coeducational system; procedural reviews by the school operations committee; facility conditions; and input from relevant departments.

As a result, 8 schools were ultimately determined as 'appropriate' for coeducational conversion: 7 out of 9 applicants for conversion in the 2027 academic year, and 1 out of 2 applicants for conversion in the 2028 academic year.

The schools selected for conversion in 2027 are Jungwon Girls' Middle School, Seongsim Girls' Middle School, Hanyang Middle School, Hanyang Technical High School, Sinjeong Girls' Middle School, Seoul Sinjeong High School, and Mu-hak Girls' High School. For 2028, Seongsim Girls' High School was selected.

A high school classroom in Seoul. Unrelated to the article content. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Three schools—Hwigyeong Girls' Middle and High Schools and Songgok High School—where procedural legitimacy was deemed insufficient or where additional review is needed due to local school connection and student placement conditions, were classified as 'mid-to-long-term review (not approved).' The office plans to re-examine these schools in stages, as their situation changes in the future.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education intends to offer various administrative and financial measures to support the eight schools converting to coeducation, so they can smoothly welcome students under the new system.

To expand and improve student facilities such as restrooms, changing rooms, and health offices, the office will provide facility funding for each school, scaled according to the size of each project.

Additionally, each school will receive a total of 300 million won over three years (240 million won for operational expenses and 60 million won for personnel expenses) to run adaptation programs for school members and to hire staff for student guidance. The office will also ensure that administrative procedures required before the official school reopening—such as school name changes (approval) and ordinance revisions—are completed on schedule.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education commented, "We expect the confirmation of these coeducational conversions to improve commuting conditions and create a more student-centered educational environment," adding, "We will continue to proactively respond to changes in the school-age population to enhance the competitiveness of Seoul education and guarantee students’ right to learn."

List of target schools for coeducation transition in the 2027-2028 school year. Provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

Jeon Hyunhee, Democratic Party member of the National Assembly (Junggu and Seongdong-gu Gap, Seoul), welcomed the coeducational conversion of Mu-hak Girls' High School, stating, "This marks the full-fledged beginning of the plan to foster a leading regional hub school, which has been the most important educational issue in Seongdong-gu."

She explained, "Earlier this year, together with Superintendent Jeong Geunsik of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, we pursued a policy to convert Mu-hak Girls' High School—facing closure due to a shortage of students—into a coeducational institution," and noted, "We led efforts to establish a prestigious high school in Seongdong-gu with a student capacity of more than 700."

However, she also pointed out that there were difficulties in the process, as some Mu-hak Girls' High School alumni visited her constituency office in protest and even called for her resignation in opposition to the conversion to coeducation.

Jeon added, "The conversion of Mu-hak Girls' High School to coeducation is a very meaningful starting point that will change the future of education in Seongdong-gu," pledging, "I will make sure to foster Mu-hak Girls' High School as the representative prestigious regional hub school of Seongdong-gu."

Hyunhee Jeon, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yonhap News

Kim Hyunwoo, a Seoul Metropolitan Council member (Democratic Party, Seongdong-gu 2nd district), also expressed support, stating, "The 86-year tradition and history of Mu-hak Girls' High School is not ending, but is actually serving as a starting point for continuing its legacy in line with the times."

He emphasized, "The history and traditions of a school are not defined by its name, but live on through the values pursued by the school and the pride of its members. Accordingly, the conversion to a coeducational system is also a process for ushering in a new era for Mu-hak Girls' High School."

He added, "I will stand with Mu-hak Girls' High School so it can write a new history as Seongdong-gu's representative prestigious school, combining tradition with innovation."

Following this decision, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will proceed with the necessary administrative procedures, as required by related laws, to transition to a coeducational system that will begin admitting first-year male students from the 2027 academic year.

However, in the case of Mu-hak Girls' High School, strong opposition among the school’s alumni association and current students suggests difficulties are likely during the conversion process.

In response to the school's application for coeducational conversion, Mu-hak Girls' High School alumni organized the 'Emergency Committee Opposing Coeducational Conversion' and have continued to hold rallies in protest.

Recently, they reportedly met with Superintendent Jeong Geunsik, warning that unless the conversion to coeducation is canceled, they would mobilize all possible means to protest. A committee representative stated, "We plan to hold a strategy meeting today to discuss our protest methods, including legal action, sit-ins, and rallies."

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