Mungyeong Technical High School Receives Final Designation as Meister High School in AI Sector... 60 Students to Be Admitted in 2028

Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jong-sik) announced on August 31 that Mungyeong Technical High School, which received a conditional designation this past June, has successfully passed the Ministry of Education's compliance review and has received final approval to be designated as the 20th industry demand-driven high school (hereinafter referred to as Meister High School).

Mungyeong Technical High School had been granted conditional approval as a Meister High School in June after the Ministry of Education recognized the potential for growth in the robotics industry as well as the need to cultivate professional talent in the field.

Students of Mungyeong Technical High School practicing with robots.

Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education and Mungyeong Technical High School thoroughly analyzed the Ministry of Education's requested improvements, and then upgraded both the curriculum and the school’s operational systems. They developed detailed implementation plans for each area and systematically prepared the infrastructure necessary for Meister High School operation, such as curriculum, industry-academia cooperation, and educational environment, thus meeting the evaluation criteria in this latest review.

Mungyeong Technical High School plans to foster experts in the physical artificial intelligence (AI)-based robot system integration (SI) sector and connect them directly to industry jobs, keeping pace with growth in the global robotics market, the government's national AI transformation initiative, and Gyeongbuk Province's robotics industry promotion policies.

To that end, the school has signed business agreements with 65 robot-related organizations and companies nationwide, including the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, the Korea AI Robot Industry Association, Neuromeka Co., Ltd., Hanwha Robotics Co., Ltd., FRT Robotics Co., Ltd., and Fusion ENC Co., Ltd. Additionally, it has established a cooperative system among the region, industry, and school, based on administrative and financial support from Gyeongbuk Province and Mungyeong City, to jointly nurture talent.

Mungyeong Technical High School aims to open on March 1, 2028, and will be equipped with the latest training laboratories and facilities for education in physical AI and robot system integration. To ensure that the nationally selected students can study in a stable environment, the school plans to support dormitory life for all students, and is working on expanding and renovating the dormitory buildings for this purpose.

The school will admit a total of 60 new students annually: two classes for the AI Robot Development Department and two for the AI Robot Control Department, with 15 students per class, regardless of gender, recruited nationwide. When the first cohort enters in 2028, the first graduates are expected in February 2031.

A total investment of 2.86 billion won is planned for the transition to Meister High School and the upgrading of the educational environment: 500 million won from the Ministry of Education, 2.12 billion won from the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education, 120 million won from Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, and 120 million won from Mungyeong City.

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education expects that, with Mungyeong Technical High School's final designation, the number of Meister High Schools in the province will increase to ten, significantly strengthening the region's competitiveness in vocational education focused on advanced industries. In particular, by establishing a foundation to train specialists in physical AI and robotics, in addition to existing industries, the school aims to broaden students’ career and employment opportunities while actively responding to workforce demands in local advanced industries.

Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education, stated, "We will systematically support all aspects of preparations for the opening—including curriculum, facilities, and industry cooperation—so that Mungyeong Technical High School can successfully open in 2028 and stably foster field-ready professionals who will lead changes in physical AI and the robotics industry."

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