'Leading Regions for Educational Innovation' Bring Mixed Fortunes: Wando and Jindo Celebrate, Haenam's Hands Tied

Park Jiwon: "Wando to Receive 13 Billion Won and Jindo 15.6 Billion Won Over Five Years"
Wando and Jindo Secure National Funding with Swift Action
"We Won't Rush"... Haenam Prioritizes Hearing Residents' Views

Wando County and Jindo County in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City were both selected as “Leading Regions for Educational Innovation,” a program run by the Ministry of Education, securing a total of 28.6 billion won in funding over five years. Haenam County, in the same electoral district, however, put off applying for the program after residents disagreed over “school consolidation,” a key requirement, and decided to hold further discussions, it has been confirmed.

On November 3, Assemblyman Park Jiwon of the Democratic Party of Korea said, “Wando and Jindo were finally selected for the Ministry of Education’s Leading Regions for Educational Innovation program after fierce competition.” He added, “As a result, a total of 28.6 billion won is set to be provided over five years, including 13 billion won for Wando and 15.6 billion won for Jindo.”

Park Jiwon, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea.

The latest call for applications came after the Education Development Special Zone project, which had included Haenam, Wando, and Jindo counties, ended across the board this year. It was made possible after the heads of the education offices in Wando and Jindo made an earnest request over concerns about a gap in local education and the counties undertook meticulous preparations.

The secured funding will be used to improve the quality of education by linking and consolidating small schools, which are dispersed due to the region’s islands and rural areas, in response to declining student numbers. The counties also plan to fully launch educational programs that reflect local strengths, including Jindo’s “culture and arts” and Wando’s “marine and fisheries industries,” as well as employment training tailored to local needs.

Meanwhile, local political and educational circles focused on why Haenam County was excluded from the latest call for applications. According to this newspaper’s reporting, the decisive reason Haenam County did not apply was the issue of “school consolidation,” a key condition of the program.

In preparation for the application, Haenam County sought to be selected as a leading region by holding public hearings for residents in four locations across the county. However, residents were divided over school consolidation, with opinions both for and against.

A local official said, “Most people supported consolidation, but there was also a minority opposed to it, and the differences of opinion could not be reconciled.” The official added, “Haenam County Governor Myung Hyun-kwan and Education Chief Cho Yeon-ju agreed that they should not rush and should spend more time hearing residents’ views, so the county did not apply in this round.”

Even if the county regrets missing out on substantial national funding in the short term, the decision appears to reflect a political judgment by Haenam County and its Office of Education to prioritize minimizing local conflict that could arise from pushing ahead with the plan and building consensus with parents and residents. Haenam County is expected to apply for related education programs again once differences of opinion have been reconciled.

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Park Jiwon said, “I am deeply grateful to the Ministry of Education for its cooperation and to local education officials, including Yoon Yang-seok, head of the Wando Office of Education, and Ha Suk-ja, head of the Jindo Office of Education, for their hard work in securing the selection as a Leading Region for Educational Innovation.” He added, “The educational development of Haenam, Wando, and Jindo is the development of the region. I will continue to do my utmost to improve educational and medical conditions and make the region a better place to live.”

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