Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on the 8th that "Seoul Learn is the strongest and sturdiest ladder of miracles that helps children design their own futures regardless of their parents' financial means."
Oh posted a message on social media (SNS) titled "The ladder of miracles built by Seoul Learn, reinforced to be sturdier," and said this.
Oh said, "Today I met with the heads of community child centers who are responsible for caring for and educating our children," adding, "Recruitment for 'Seoul Learn 3.0,' which has greatly lowered the threshold, begins on the 20th of this month, so I wanted to hear voices from the field and prepare without gaps."
Seoul Learn is the city's flagship public education welfare platform that began in 2021 for teenagers at or below 50% of the median income. Through changes to social security schemes with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, eligibility has now been expanded to those at or below 80% of the median income and to multi-child households, increasing the program to 170,000 people.
Oh explained, "It was by no means an easy process, but it is the result of the Seoul Metropolitan Government persuading and negotiating for four years with a single resolve to broaden learning opportunities for children."
Oh also said, "The truly valuable change is that we removed the stigma children would feel," adding, "Because community child centers are used by both children in need of care and other children together, there were times when, due to stigma, they hesitated to use Seoul Learn inside the centers."
He added, "Now, anyone can proudly learn with Seoul Learn regardless of income," and "A learning environment has opened where neighborhood friends can all study together with smiles, without any child being hurt by barriers drawn by the system."
Oh said, "Seoul Learn is always a policy that is both dear and makes my heart swell," adding, "Started with a single-minded determination to break the vicious cycle in which parents' economic power leads to educational opportunity, the number of college admits doubled from 462 for the 2023 academic year to 914 for the 2026 academic year."
He continued, "More than half of households using Seoul Learn said they significantly reduced their private education costs and gave us bright smiles, and now it is spreading as Korea's leading public education platform, adopted by local governments nationwide such as North Chungcheong, Pyeongchang, Gimpo and Incheon."
Oh said, "I am more than grateful for this expansion of eligibility," adding, "I will surely keep the promise to ensure that parents' pocketbooks do not become a barrier that blocks children's dreams."