The Ministry of Education said on the 4th that it will hold a "briefing on promoting the integration of the education administration system" at the South Jeolla Provincial Office of Education on the 5th with the South Jeolla Provincial Office of Education and the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education.
Minister Choi Kyo-jin of the Ministry of Education; Kim Dae-jung, superintendent-elect of the South Jeolla–Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan Office of Education; vice superintendents of the South Jeolla and Gwangju offices of education; and working-level officials preparing for integration will attend. The Ministry of Education and the two offices formed working-level preparatory bodies for integration in March and have since held seven regular meetings, coordinating detailed plans through eight working-level consultative bodies by sector, including organization, personnel, finance, and autonomous regulations.
The briefing was arranged to conduct a comprehensive review of preparations and discuss the direction forward and follow-up measures ahead of the launch in July of the South Jeolla–Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan Office of Education (the integrated office). Sector-by-sector preparation status, such as organization, information systems, and autonomous regulations, and the main schedule for integration will be put on the table.
On the organizational side, the Ministry of Education is preparing a legal basis to temporarily operate two additional bureaus beyond the statutory size to prepare for increased administrative demand in the early stage of integration. The two offices plan to complete follow-up measures within this month, including revising autonomous regulations for a structure with a planning and coordination office and six bureaus.
The information systems integration will focus on stable service delivery and ensuring continuity of administrative work. NICE and K-Edufine will be operated separately by office at the time of launch, while students and parents will be able to use integrated public-facing services. The Ministry of Education provided about 2.7 billion won in special grants for system modification and development expense.
The Minister said, "The launch of the South Jeolla–Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan Office of Education will be an important turning point for achieving balanced national growth through '5 poles, 3 special zones' and invigorating educational autonomy," adding, "We will communicate and cooperate closely with the two offices and do our utmost to support a successful launch."