Superintendent Ahn Minseok: "Bring Together Eight Cities in Southern Gyeonggi to Create an AI and Semiconductor Education Hub"

Marking his 100th day in office, Gyeonggi Provincial Superintendent of Education Ahn Minseok unveiled a vision to develop a hub for AI and semiconductor education by bringing together eight municipalities in southern Gyeonggi. He also said he would respond to the risk of a 7 trillion won budget cut resulting from the government’s planned overhaul of local education finance grants by securing funding through measures such as establishing a new fund.

On October 7, Superintendent Ahn held a press conference marking his 100th day in office at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education in Gwanggyo, Suwon, and announced the key directions for next year’s education policies.

His top priority is “nurturing talent in AI and semiconductors.” Superintendent Ahn said, “We will bring together eight semiconductor-cluster cities in southern Gyeonggi, including Suwon, Yongin, Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, and turn them into a specialized education belt. We will receive support in the form of experts and some funding from companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, and develop the area into Korea’s leading hub for AI and semiconductor education.” He added, “I believe this is possible if the eight cities pool their strengths, but it will require considerable thought and effort.”

He strongly opposed the government’s move to overhaul local education finance grants. “It is completely unacceptable to leave excess tax revenue out of education investment while cutting about 7 trillion won from grants to provincial education offices alone,” Superintendent Ahn said. He also stressed, “We are considering various measures to secure funding, including establishing a ‘Future Response Fund,’ to prepare for the worst-case scenario of budget cuts.”

He also outlined a solution to private education costs, a major concern for parents. “We can rein in private education costs if excellent schoolteachers take the lead over private academy instructors,” Superintendent Ahn said, promising to form a “Half-Price Private Education Task Force” soon and launch full-scale policies starting next year.

Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education An Minseok speaks about education administration across the province at a press conference marking his 100th day in office on the 7th. Photo provided by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.

He identified teaching students to use AI technology effectively as the most urgent priority. “What I seek is people-centered AI education,” Superintendent Ahn said. “We will redesign the curriculum to meet the needs of the AI era so students do not become slaves to AI, but instead can take the lead in using the technology effectively.”

To that end, the provincial education office recently launched an “AI Education Committee,” chaired by Kim Hyuncheol, a professor at Yonsei University. The committee is discussing how to redesign the curriculum for the AI era and establish an AI education research institute. Work is also underway to enact an ordinance to establish the institute.

In addition, the provincial education office plans to strengthen cooperation by signing so-called “barrier-breaking agreements” (business agreements) with universities and companies in the province to provide substantive AI education. Starting next year, it will divide its organization into southern and northern divisions to narrow the education gap between the two regions.

The plan is for the southern and northern offices to operate independently as twin headquarters, reducing educational disparities between regions. The new system is expected to become fully operational in January 2027, after appointments are finalized for the currently vacant posts of first and second deputy superintendents.

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