The Yeomyung School, the only institution in Seoul for North Korean defector youth, is facing opposition from local residents regarding the construction of a new building. The current temporary classrooms are set to expire in February 2027.
On October 2, the "Joint Action of Civil Society Supporting the Construction of Yeomyung School on Its Current Site" announced that the petition aims to urge the Seoul City Council and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to approve the new building on the existing site. The first phase of the petition, which began on September 28, is set to close in a week, with 69 organizations participating as of October 1.
Yeomyung School opened in 2004 in Bongcheon-dong, Seoul, and received official accreditation for middle and high school education in 2010. Currently, it serves 104 students, all of whom are either directly from North Korea or born during their escape.
For over 20 years, the school has moved between rented spaces, and a planned relocation to Eunpyeong District in 2019 was canceled due to local opposition. The school has been using the former Yeomgang Elementary School building in Gangseo District since March 2023, but this arrangement will end in February 2027.
A settlement plan was established in July when the Ministry of Unification, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Hyundai Motor Group, and Yeomyung School signed a memorandum of understanding. The plan includes constructing a four-story building on the current playground, with a budget of 16 billion won funded by private donations. Hyundai Motor Group will contribute 6 billion won for construction and interior costs, while the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will provide the land free of charge and receive the completed building as a donation. The new building will occupy 10% of the site of the closed school. The goal is to begin construction in October 2024, with completion expected by the end of 2028 and classes starting in March 2029.
Residents opposing the construction argue that the education office had promised to build a public kindergarten and early childhood facility on the site when Yeomgang Elementary School closed in 2020. Following a community meeting on August 1, a "Emergency Response Committee Against the Construction of Yeomyung School" was formed, with around 300 members joining a group chat. The committee claims that the temporary use of the site for three years has been changed to a permanent construction without community consent. They also cite a shortage of local kindergartens, forcing children to travel to other areas. Online, there have been comments expressing hostility towards defectors.
During a second community meeting on September 17, Yeomyung School Principal Jeong Myeong-sook pleaded on her knees for the community to allow the school to remain. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated that it will proceed with the construction as planned while addressing concerns about traffic routes and noise. They also indicated that it would be difficult to hold additional community meetings but would continue discussions with the response committee in a roundtable format.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.