Busan city, education office join bid for Ministry of Education's 'education innovation leading region' program

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education announced Tuesday that it will join forces with Busan Metropolitan City to apply for the Ministry of Education's "2026 Education Innovation Leading Region" program.

The program is a revamped competitive grant initiative designed to address the decline in school-age population and the threat of regional depopulation. The ministry developed it by analyzing the outcomes and limitations of the existing Education Development Special Zone program (2024–2026), with the goal of creating region-specific education innovation models and spreading successful cases nationwide. Provincial and metropolitan education offices must apply jointly with their respective local governments.

Busan is preparing its application with a "selection and concentration" approach, focusing on districts within the city designated as population-decline attention zones. The city and education office are refining a detailed action plan aimed at narrowing the education gap, strengthening ties with local universities and industries, and making the most efficient use of limited resources.

After the ministry issued its public notice in July, the education office immediately formed a dedicated task force, which is now in operation. It has been holding briefings for district education support offices and affiliated institutions, as well as consultations with Busan Metropolitan City and individual district offices, to build coordinated cooperation. Given the large number of agencies involved, the office is prioritizing thorough collection of on-the-ground input over speed, with the aim of producing a polished and substantive plan.

If Busan is selected under the "non-capital metropolitan city, Type 2" category it is applying for, it will receive a special grant of up to 4 billion won ($2.83 million) per year for five years — three base years plus an optional two-year extension — with local governments required to match 50 percent of project costs.

Busan Metropolitan City and the targeted district offices are coordinating on practical matters and working together to identify project ideas with strong on-the-ground relevance. Once a regional education innovation council is formally established, the superintendent of education, the city mayor, district mayors and community representatives are expected to convene and finalize the detailed project plan.

"The region-specific project ideas for this application are not something the education office is crafting alone — it is a process in which Busan Metropolitan City and the district offices are working together to rigorously examine the region's depopulation challenges," an education office official said. "The fiscal conditions have changed compared with the previous Education Development Special Zone program, but we will efficiently consolidate Busan's resources to complete a plan with real impact."