Seoul expands International Baccalaureate program to more than 100 schools

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education headquarters / Yonhap

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) said it designated 91 schools as International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate schools for 2026, bringing the total number of Seoul campuses participating in the globally recognized curriculum to 106.

The expansion underscores a growing embrace of the IB framework, which has gained traction among city educators seeking to prioritize critical thinking and globally oriented instruction.

The IB is an internationally recognized education program developed by a nonprofit Swiss foundation in 1968. Emphasizing inquiry-based learning and concept-driven instruction over rote memorization, it currently operates in more than 5,900 schools across roughly 160 countries, serving approximately 2 million students.

The program is divided into three levels: the Primary Years Program for early and elementary learners, the Middle Years Program for students aged 11 to 16 and the Diploma Program for students aged 16 to 19.

The 106 Seoul schools now hold IB status at one of three tiers — interested, candidate or authorized.

SMOE said the expansion is central to its push to develop a Korean Baccalaureate, a localized adaptation of the IB framework intended to reform curriculum design, instruction and assessment around future competencies within the Seoul public school system.

To support the newly designated schools, the office said it plans to introduce a graduate-level research track for teachers focused on curriculum development, expand its IB Educator Certificate program, establish four regional school networks across the city and roll out tiered training tailored by subject, level and stage of instruction.

"Through the Korean Baccalaureate, we will build a sustainable school system oriented toward future competency-based education," acting SMOE superintendent Kim Cheon-hong said.

"We will work to raise the quality and credibility of public education, strengthen the future capabilities of Seoul students and help close educational gaps between regions."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.