From French to Vietnamese... Yongsan-gu Expands Native-Speaker Foreign Language Program to 45 Classes

by Kim Minjin

Published 05 Feb.2026 09:07(KST)

Operates in 7 languages...Largest scale among Seoul's autonomous districts

Yongsan-gu in Seoul (District Mayor Park Hee-young) announced on February 5 that it will expand the "2026 Native-Speaker Foreign Language Program" to 45 classes in 7 foreign languages. This is the largest scale among the 25 autonomous districts in Seoul.

This year's English class of the 1st cohort adult daytime native-speaker foreign language program. Provided by Yongsan-gu.

The native-speaker foreign language program offers English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Vietnamese classes, organized by proficiency level and age group. It reflects learning needs across the entire life cycle, from elementary and middle school students to adults, and has established itself as a flagship local education initiative.

This year, the district will significantly expand new courses that reflect changing demand and generational characteristics. New offerings will include story-and-book-art-based foreign language classes for lower-grade students, Japanese classes for students, and a "Silver English Class" designed to respond to an aging society.

The district will run regular courses alongside special Saturday courses and has structured student classes, adult daytime classes, and adult evening classes in a balanced way to broaden participation opportunities. Some courses will also be offered online to reduce time and space constraints. A total of 1,561 people took courses last year.

The district views this project as a springboard for becoming a city with global educational competitiveness. In connection with its ongoing strategy to be designated as a "Special Zone for Educational Internationalization," it plans to expand the foundation for international exchanges by hosting a "Global Lounge" and to build a future-oriented global education ecosystem.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, "The native-speaker foreign language program is a flagship initiative of Yongsan-style global education policy that supports all residents in learning foreign languages at their own level and communicating with the world," adding, "Linked with the promotion of the Special Zone for Educational Internationalization, we will develop Yongsan into a truly global education city."