Pocheon City Turns 'Limits of Education' into Innovation... Aims for Leading Region for Educational Innovation Designation

High School Enrollment Rate Rises to 91%, Private Education Expenses Down 2.1%
Nation’s Largest Network of Nine EBS Self-Directed Learning Centers Established
Comprehensive Support through Pocheonaebom365, Pouwuri, Pochoon Bus, and Edu Taxi

Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Younghyun Baek) is overcoming structural challenges in regional education—such as its large residential area, declining student population, and increasing number of multicultural students—through tailored policies.

The “Pocheon-type education policy,” which integrates care, commuting, and academic support into a single system, is leading to higher student enrollment rates and easing the burden of private education expenses for parents.

Younghyun Baek, Mayor of Pocheon (right), visits a local educational site and warmly greets students. Provided by Pocheon City.

According to Pocheon City on September 13, the city has been building an education ecosystem suited to local needs, following its designation as a pilot area for Special Educational Development Zones. The city’s plan is to create an environment where children can receive quality education where they are born and raised, encouraging them to settle in the region—thereby improving both living conditions and the city’s competitiveness.

One of the representative care programs is “Pocheonaebom365,” an all-day care system by region. It reduces gaps in childcare between school and home, lessens the burden on parents, and establishes an education welfare foundation where the community participates in raising children.

In addition, “Dureondureon Soheul,” an educational and cultural complex space opened last year, has become an integrated platform for education, care, and community engagement. It offers a variety of day-to-day services, including emergency care, accompanying sick children to the hospital, and children’s cafeterias, as well as leisure spaces for citizens.

The city also stands out for its commuting support tailored to its wide area. Services include “Pouwuri,” a smart shuttle exclusive for elementary school students; “Pochoon Bus,” an integrated commuting service for middle and high school students; and “Edu Taxi,” for students in transportation-isolated areas, all of which are operated in tandem.

In June, the operating area of Pouwuri was expanded. This move was not only to provide a means of transportation, but also to simultaneously enhance student safety and access to education. The intent is to minimize regional disparities in educational opportunities.

The construction of public academic infrastructure is also gaining momentum. In 2025, Pocheon City will open the nation’s first “EBS Self-Directed Learning Center,” and has laid the groundwork to operate nine centers—the largest number in Korea. The intent is to empower students to study independently with learning support linked to public education, close to home.

These policies have been substantiated by objective figures. The high school enrollment rate among students within the region rose sharply from 80% in 2023 to 91% in 2025, an increase of 11 percentage points. The four-year university enrollment rate also increased by 4.6 percentage points, from 49.1% in 2024 to 53.7% in 2025. The reduction rate in private education expenses reached 2.1%, exceeding the target figure of 1.5%.

A class scene of 'Pocheonaebom365,' Pocheon City's all-day care system by region. Provided by Pocheon City.

Going forward, Pocheon City plans to ensure the stable operation of public learning support systems such as the Self-Directed Learning Centers, and to strengthen the linkage between care, commuting, and career and academic support. The goal is to further advance the “Pocheon-type education ecosystem” so students and parents can experience tangible changes in daily life.

The next target is to be designated as a “Leading Region for Educational Innovation” by the Ministry of Education. This program, jointly undertaken by local governments, education offices, and communities, aims to establish high-quality education ecosystems suited to local needs. Selected regions receive up to 2 billion won annually, for up to five years—a total of 10 billion won in support.

Pocheon City has begun preparing for the competition scheduled for the second half of the year by building a cooperation system with the Pocheon Education Support Office. The strategy is to expand the scope of regional educational innovation, building on the achievements of its initiatives in care, commuting, and academic support.

Mayor Younghyun Baek said, “Education is an investment in our children’s future and the fundamental foundation for Pocheon’s sustainable growth. We will do everything we can to create a more robust educational environment that citizens can truly experience, and to be selected as a Leading Region for Educational Innovation.”

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