South Chungcheong eyes foreign school

By Yun Suh-young

South Chungcheong Province is considering establishing a foreign school in line with the influx of foreigners flocking there.

The provincial government said Tuesday that it has asked the Chungnam Development Institute (CDI) to conduct a feasibility study.

“We don’t have any foreign schools in our province. We feel the need for one here because there are many foreign employees residing in the Dangjin, Cheonan, and Asan region who work at universities, conglomerates, and international companies,” said an official from the Chungnam provincial office. “There is growing demand for a foreign school. We are going to determine the actual demand before pushing forward with the plan.”

The provincial office said it will make an announcement on the qualification of the operating body and gradually outline the details.

The office held a briefing Tuesday to discuss these issues.

“The number of foreigners who live in South Chungcheong Province is about 4.8 times higher than that in Gwangju, Daegu or Pohang. But whereas these cities have foreign schools, we don’t,” said the official.

There are about 12 international and foreign schools in regions outside of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

CDI which was entrusted with the research will determine the validity of establishing a school in the region, its ripple effects and analyze various factors that are needed for the construction of a school.

“When the results come out in late August, we will be able to push forward after receiving permission from the government,” the official said.