Seoul's 'education ladder' program expands to cover large families

Seoul's flagship education welfare program, Seoul Run, is set to significantly expand its reach. The income threshold will be lowered from the current 60 percent of median income to 80 percent, and households with multiple children as well as children using community child centers will be newly included — bringing the total number of eligible youth from 120,000 to approximately 170,000.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the expanded support plan Wednesday. Seoul Run is a comprehensive growth platform that provides free online learning content, one-on-one mentoring, and career and college preparation programs to help close the education gap caused by income inequality. Eligible youth can choose from up to eight online learning sites, including Megastudy, Etoos, Daesungmymac and Milk T. They will also have access to a range of future-skills programs — career campus sessions, arts and physical education courses developed with universities, communication workshops, AI and digital literacy programs, and career mentoring for young adults entering the workforce.

The city completed consultations with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on changes to the social security system and aligned the income threshold at 80 percent of median income to strengthen links between education welfare policies. The expansion is the first step toward fulfilling Mayor Oh Se-hoon's campaign pledge to extend Seoul Run to the bottom 70 percent of income earners, a commitment he made for his ninth-term administration.

The city also expanded support for large families as part of its goal of becoming a child-friendly city where raising children is encouraged. Through a revision to the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Online Lifelong Education Operations, households with three or more children will now qualify. The city plans to use this rollout as a foundation for broader support, reviewing program outcomes and fiscal conditions before gradually extending eligibility to two-child households.

Alongside the eligibility expansion, the city will run special summer programs to help students explore careers and build skills during the school break. Offerings developed in partnership with universities include arts and physical education classes, an English immersion camp, a STEM pre-school program and an AI talent development program, as well as the hands-on career experience programs "Career Campus" and "Jobs Run."

A summer camp will also be held for high-achieving students enrolled in the "Woori Future Seoul Runner" track. About 80 students will participate in the camp, which runs from July 22 to 24 and offers special lectures along with personalized college entrance and study consulting.

Support is also available for participation in the Yale Young Global Scholars program to strengthen global competencies. Top performers from the Woori Future Seoul Runner track will be selected to attend the approximately two-week Yale summer camp. Three students have been chosen this year and are set to join the July camp.

Meanwhile, Seoul Run is currently conducting a career interest survey among students to help shape programs that reflect their diverse aspirations. The results will serve as foundational data for developing future career programs and upgrading services.

Seoul Run has been spreading beyond Seoul since last year. Seven local governments nationwide — including North Chungcheong Province, Gimpo, Pyeongchang-gun, Taebaek and Yecheon-gun — have signed agreements to adopt the platform and are working with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to share operational know-how.

"This expansion means more young people will have the opportunity to learn through Seoul Run," said Jeong Jin-woo, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Lifelong Education Bureau. "Seoul Run will consistently broaden opportunities for learning and career exploration as a comprehensive growth platform where young people can design their own futures and nurture their dreams."