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Busan Metropolitan City and Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education Receive “A Rating” in Ministry of Education’s Performance Management Evaluation of Education Special Zones for Second Consecutive Year

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it received an A rating in the Ministry of Education’s 2025 Performance Management Evaluation of Education Special Zone Pilot Areas, achieving the highest rating for the second consecutive year.

The Education Special Zone initiative is designed to comprehensively support local education innovation and the development and retention of local talent through collaboration between local governments and education offices and other local stakeholders, including universities, businesses, and public institutions.

Since being designated as a leading Education Special Zone pilot area in February 2024, Busan has implemented a range of education innovation initiatives reflecting local conditions and educational needs.

The evaluation was conducted to review the operational performance of Education Special Zone pilot areas and to strengthen the substantive implementation and performance management of the initiative.

A total of 64 Education Special Zones were evaluated: 48 Type 1 zones designated at the basic local government level, seven Type 2 zones designated at the metropolitan government level, and nine Type 3 zones consisting of basic local governments designated by metropolitan governments.

The evaluation focused on areas including the establishment of cooperative governance between local governments and education offices, management of special grant expenditures, local governments’ commitment to local education innovation, independent performance management by Education Special Zone pilot areas, and best practices from Education Special Zones.

Busan received high marks across the initiative, including for establishing cooperative governance between the local government and the education office, its execution rate for special grant funding, and the achievement of performance targets.

In particular, the SW·AI Education Hub Center, which established a continuously available, hands-on system enabling students to experience and learn software and artificial intelligence both inside and outside school, was recognized as a standout initiative.

Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education have established a joint response framework covering the entire process from project planning and budget execution to performance management. Through this framework, they have strengthened the implementation capacity of the Education Special Zone initiative and continued working together to ensure that the outcomes of education innovation can be steadily expanded across schools and local communities.

Through the results of this evaluation, Busan once again demonstrated both the stable momentum behind the Education Special Zone initiative and its strong capacity for local education innovation.

Busan also received the highest rating, an A, in the 2024 Performance Management Evaluation of Education Special Zone Pilot Areas conducted last year, resulting in an additional KRW 3 billion in special grant funding.

Meanwhile, the Education Special Zone pilot initiative will conclude at the end of this year, and beginning in 2027, local education innovation policies will be implemented in earnest with a focus on Leading Education Innovation Areas.

Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education are preparing to apply for designation as a Leading Education Innovation Area based on the regional cooperation framework and education innovation achievements accumulated through the Education Special Zone initiative. Together with relevant institutions, they plan to develop an education innovation model tailored to Busan’s local conditions and educational needs.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “Achieving the highest rating for the second consecutive year is the result of close cooperation between Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education and our sustained efforts to advance the education innovation needed in our community. Building on the achievements accumulated through the Education Special Zone initiative, we will create a complete education and settlement ecosystem in which people who learn and grow in Busan can pursue their dreams and build their lives in Busan.”