Civic groups urge Seoul to proceed with school for North Korean defector youth
In short
A coalition of 261 civic and religious groups held a press conference outside the Seoul Metropolitan Council on Oct 7, demanding that the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the city council's education committee push ahead with construction of a proper school building for Yeomyung School, an alternative school for North Korean defector youth. The school has rented the former Yeomgang Elementary building in Gangseo-gu since March 2023 and faces opposition from some residents to building on the site, with its lease expiring next February. The coalition says more than 30,000 people have signed a petition of support.
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A coalition of 261 civic and religious organisations held a press conference on the morning of Oct 7 in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Council in Jung-gu, Seoul, calling on the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to proceed with construction of a school building for Yeomyung School and to disclose the remaining administrative schedule, and on the city council's education committee to review and vote on the matter without delay, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun and Yonhap. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that about 100 citizens joined the rally, while Chosun Ilbo said about 150 people held placards reading, among other slogans, “22 years of wandering, now give Yeomyung School a place to learn”. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Yeomyung School is an alternative education institution for North Korean defector youth. Yonhap reported it opened in 2004 in Gwanak-gu, later moved to Myeongdong, and after a planned relocation to Eunpyeong-gu fell through, began renting the former Yeomgang Elementary building in Gangseo-gu in March 2023. Kyunghyang Shinmun said the school has gone 22 years without its own building, and Yonhap reported that its period of use at the current site expires next February. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap reported that an agreement to build a proper school on the site was signed among the Unification Ministry, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and Hyundai Motor Group, but that some residents object, saying consultation was insufficient. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that principal Cho Myung-sook knelt in appeal at a residents' briefing on Sept 17 but that opposition from some residents continued, and that the school building and an apartment complex are more than 150 metres apart. [ 1 , 2 ]
At the Oct 7 rally, the coalition said the building would take up only 10.8% of the former Yeomgang Elementary site, with the rest to house a child education promotion institute at a larger scale than originally planned, and that it would be funded entirely from private sources — a 10 billion won school fund and 6 billion won in support from Hyundai Motor Group — and donated to the education office, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun. The same report said the money includes contributions from parents and staff and from graduates' first pay packets and students' pocket money. [ 1 ]
Cho was reported by Kyunghyang Shinmun as saying the school is struggling to find a site even though it is more than 150 metres from apartment blocks, and that children who lived in fear in North Korea and China are now shrinking back in South Korea because of some opposing residents. Graduate Eom Esther, also in tears, said alumni include national team athletes, pastors and social workers, and asked for help so that current students can prepare their own futures, the report said. [ 1 ]
The coalition said more than 30,000 people had signed a petition of support as of Oct 7, and plans to extend the signature drive into mid-October before delivering the list to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Seoul Metropolitan Council, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun and Yonhap. The documents do not record any response from the education office or the city council to the coalition's demands. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The dispute tests how Seoul handles a school for North Korean defector youth, a group the coalition describes as victims of division. It also sets a precedent for whether a site plan backed by an inter-agency agreement, including the Unification Ministry, the Seoul education office and Hyundai Motor Group, can be halted by local residents' objections. With the school's current lease expiring next February, the timetable for a decision is narrowing.
Key facts
- A coalition of 261 civic and religious organisations, called the Civil Society Joint Action for the Construction of a School on Yeomyung School's Current Site, held a press conference on Oct 7 in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Council in Jung-gu, Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- The coalition demanded that the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education proceed with construction as planned and disclose the remaining administrative schedule, and that the city council's education committee review and vote on the matter without delay. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yeomyung School is an alternative education institution for North Korean defector youth that opened in 2004 and has operated without its own building for 22 years. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The school has rented the former Yeomgang Elementary building in Gangseo-gu since March 2023, after a plan to move to Eunpyeong-gu fell through. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Its use period at the current site expires next February, and an agreement to build a proper school there was signed among the Unification Ministry, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and Hyundai Motor Group. [ 2 ]
- The coalition says more than 30,000 people had signed a petition supporting the construction as of Oct 7, and it plans to extend the signature drive into mid-October before delivering the list to the education office and city council. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Some residents oppose construction on the site; Yonhap reported they say consultation was insufficient. [ 2 ]
- Principal Cho Myung-sook knelt and appealed to residents at a briefing on Sept 17, but opposition from some residents continued, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A coalition of 261 civic and religious groups held a press conference on Oct 7 at the Seoul Metropolitan Council in Jung-gu and called for the Yeomyung School building project to proceed as planned. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Yeomyung School is an alternative school for North Korean defector youth and has operated since 2004 without its own building, most recently renting the former Yeomgang Elementary building in Gangseo-gu from March 2023. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The coalition says more than 30,000 people have signed a petition in support and plans to deliver the signature list to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Seoul Metropolitan Council. [ 1 , 2 ]
- An agreement on building a school at the current site was reached among the Unification Ministry, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and Hyundai Motor Group, while some residents object. [ 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the city council's education committee will act on the coalition's demands, and on what timetable. The documents report only the coalition's demands and do not include any response or commitment from the education office or the council.
- The exact grounds and scope of the residents' opposition. Yonhap says residents argue consultation was insufficient; Kyunghyang says some residents oppose the plan, but neither document sets out a detailed position from residents.
- The funding figures for the building — a 10 billion won school fund and 6 billion won in support from Hyundai Motor Group, to be donated to the education office. These figures appear only in the Kyunghyang Shinmun article and are attributed to the coalition.
- Site details: that the school building would occupy 10.8% of the former Yeomgang Elementary site and that a child education promotion institute would take the rest at a larger scale than originally planned. Stated only by the coalition in the Kyunghyang Shinmun article, with no independent confirmation in the other documents.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- A residents' briefing on the planned construction is held; principal Cho Myung-sook kneels in appeal, but opposition from some residents continues (Sept 17). [ 1 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes its account of the morning press conference outside the Seoul Metropolitan Council. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports the coalition's demands that the Seoul education office proceed as planned and disclose the remaining administrative schedule, and that the council's education committee deliberate and vote without delay. [ 2 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes a photo news item on the rally, noting the school has rented the Yeomgang Elementary building since 2023. [ 3 ]
- Chosun Ilbo publishes an editorial-style piece on the 261 groups' appeal, saying about 150 people held placards at the press conference. [ 4 ]