JEJU WEEKLY

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Preview: Asked and answered. Jeju Global Education City
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Though the Jeju Global Education City (JGEC) has held the groundbreaking ceremony for its second school, many of the island’s residents still have questions about this massive project. The Jeju Weekly has compiled some of those questions and concerns from the public and presented them to the Jeju Free International City Development Center. Here are their responses.

How will an English "island" in the middle of nowhere on Jeju really help to make Jeju more international?
The Jeju Global Education City will attract students from not only the mainland to Jeju but from throughout East Asia including China. Because it is a global city, its communal language will be English and every sign in the city will be in Korean and English. As well, all commercial facilities - retail, dining and entertainment facilities - will have to hire some bilingual employees.

Will there be something out there that will be worth seeing for tourists?
The Jeju Global Education City will in essence be an open community for learning. It will not cater only its resident schools and students, but also to the outside community and even visitors seeking to experience the city. The schools will have excellent facilities (i.e. Branksome Hall’s ice hockey arena) and common areas such as the performing arts center, which will be perfect for leisure time for the tourists.

During the second phase of construction, after 2015, we will build the Education-Culture-Art Zone. It will be a complex with lots of entertainment facilities like a music hall, for plays and concerts. over 2,000 programs a year will be offered.

In reference to commercial facilities, we will invite some outside investors. The main commercial facilities will be in the center of the city at a size of 42,256 m2. There might be a movie theatre, but there will be a PC room and other establishments of that nature.

What successful model is the JGEC following considering the historical attempts and failures in Korea?
JGEC is the first experiment of its kind in Korea. Approximately 20,000 young Korean students study abroad, which causes lots of problems. By opening this education city we are giving those families the option to stay close together on home soil and for the students to learn within their own culture. The concept is quite different from the English villages on the mainland which are theme parks with English language experiences. They are only short term English education centers, but this is an English school. There are foreign schools in Korea but only 30 percent of their total enrollment can be Korean, 70 percent have to be foreigners. But for all the schools in the city, there is no restriction, allowing 100 percent of its enrollment to be domestic students.

In a June 30 article by the online local newspaper Jejusori.net, the writer expressed his “unpleasant feelings towards the JDC over the procedures followed for Branksome Hall Asia’s groundbreaking.” Could the JGEC please clarify what happened and also comment on the current relationship between the POE and the JDC?
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 30 in consideration of Branksome Hall’s academic calendar. It does not mean that actual construction work has begun. What occured was just a ceremony, but we still need to get a permit from the construction department of Seogwipo City before building can commence. The Provincial Office of Education wanted the ceremony to occur after the permit was granted. The permit will be granted shortly.

How will Jeju make money from this?
Foremost by creating jobs and attracting tourists from in and abroad. Also, Jeju will earn money through parents who visit their children who attend the JGEC. When completed the city will be home to 20,000 people who will engage in commerce. It is important to remember that making money is the second purpose of the JGEC. It’s main objective is to bring back students who study abroad to Korea.

Is the JGEC paying for the construction of the buildings?
Yes, at the initial stages however we are currently seeking private sector investment. the JDC will pay for the construction of the first two, possibly three schools, but after that, all schools will have to fund the construction of their own buildings. The money for these schools comes from profits garnered by our Duty-Free Shops.

The full Q&A will be available in print and online at the end of the week. -- Ed.

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