Kim Seok-jun Marks 100 Days as Busan Education Chief, Details Plans to Carry Out 66 Pledges

[Financial News] As he marks his 100th day in office, Busan Superintendent of Education Kim Seok-jun has finalized a “pledge implementation plan” to turn the promises he made to citizens into concrete policies and is beginning full-scale implementation. 
The Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education said on the 7th that it had finalized the pledge implementation plan after a meeting of the superintendent’s Pledge Implementation Evaluation Panel on the 6th. 
To realize its vision for Busan education, “Together into the Future, Leading Busan Education,” the office has fleshed out the superintendent’s pledges into five areas, 15 tasks, 66 pledges and 86 detailed tasks.
The five areas are future education centered on people to lead the age of artificial intelligence (AI); personalized education that develops academic skills and emotional well-being together; safe education that protects teachers and students alike; civic education in which people grow together through respect and consideration; and warm, happy education that provides support like a family.
For future education, generative AI services for teaching and learning will be rolled out to all elementary, middle and high schools, following the introduction last April of BeAT, the Busan Education AI tutor, at high schools. Digital literacy and AI ethics education will help students develop the ability to use AI safely and responsibly. The office will promote humanities and arts activities such as reading and debate camps and school orchestras, and support innovation in teaching and assessment by commercializing an AI assessment support system for short-answer and essay questions in 2028.
To provide personalized education, the office will strengthen support for literacy and numeracy and develop and distribute learning materials for each grade to build a solid foundation for learning. 
The office will establish an emergency response system to respond quickly to cases that disrupt educational activities, ensuring a safe learning environment. To that end, it set up Educational Activity Protection Centers at five education support offices last September and strengthened on-the-ground support for schools. Next year, it plans to open a Parent Support Center to help parents educate their children and serve as a hub for education, counseling and communication, broadening the basis for cooperation between schools and families.
To foster civic education, the office will strengthen education on democratic ways of life and the Constitution, helping students understand the values and principles of democracy and grow into citizens who practice respect and responsibility in their daily lives. It is also pursuing the establishment, by 2030, of glocal middle schools focused on bilingual and international education, as well as a residential Busan Student Marine Training Center where students can gain structured experience in marine safety and water sports.
Finally, to promote happy education, the office will improve conditions for the inclusive education of students eligible for special education and operate multicultural autonomous schools that foster the strengths of students from migrant backgrounds. It will provide out-of-school youth with activity funds to participate in educational programs and opportunities to take the Nationwide Joint Academic Assessment. It will also expand support for physical education uniforms for incoming middle and high school students, as well as for school trips and experiential learning, strengthening educational welfare to support every student’s learning and growth.
The total budget required to carry out the pledged projects is estimated at around 1.3886 trillion won, the office said, adding that the figure may be adjusted depending on detailed project plans and financial conditions. 
“The first 100 days in office have been a time in which we clarified the direction Busan education should take and turned our promises to citizens into an implementation plan,” Superintendent Kim said. “With this pledge implementation plan as our starting point, we will now turn the plan into changes and results on the ground.”

[email protected] Kwon Byeong-seok Reporter