N. Gyeongsang education office to break ground on Dokdo Education Center on Saturday

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education announced Monday it will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Dokdo Education Center and a Dokdo Day event on Ulleungdo on Saturday.

The event marks the 126th anniversary of the promulgation of Imperial Edict No. 41 of the Korean Empire and is intended to reflect on the historical significance of Dokdo and the importance of territorial sovereignty.

Ahead of the ceremony, officials from the North Gyeongsang education office and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps students from across the province are scheduled to visit Dokdo for an exploration activity.

Participants will examine the islets' history and natural environment firsthand, reaffirming the value of Dokdo and deepening their sense of pride in Korean territory and patriotism.

The program will include a screening of a commemorative video from the Dokdo visit, a pre-ceremony performance, a briefing on the construction plan for the Dokdo Education Center, the official groundbreaking declaration and a special performance.

The pre-ceremony performance will feature traditional fusion group Noldang, which will deliver an energetic set centered on ensemble drumming.

At the groundbreaking declaration, key attendees will break ground to mark the start of construction, wishing for the safe building and successful operation of the Dokdo Education Center.

A special performance will also be on offer. Artist Kim So-young will complete a large-scale calligraphy work reading "North Gyeongsang Education Embraces Dokdo" through a brush-dance performance using an oversized brush, expressing the province's commitment and vision for Dokdo education.

Students from Ulleungdo will also perform as the Children's Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps, presenting a program on the history of Dokdo and the activities of the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps to convey their dedication to protecting and cherishing the islets.

The Dokdo Education Center will be built on the former site of Ulleung Elementary School's Jangheung annex, located at 238 Sadong-ri, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung-gun.

The facility will cover a site area of 4,685 square meters with a total floor area of 4,405.38 square meters across three above-ground floors, and will be designed to accommodate up to 120 students at a time.

Construction is set to run for 26 months, from September 2026 to September 2028.

Once completed, the center is expected to serve as a key hub for field-based Dokdo education, where students from across the country can visit Ulleungdo and Dokdo in person to learn comprehensively about their history, natural environment and the meaning of territorial sovereignty.

"We will build the Dokdo Education Center safely and with substance so that it can become the heart of field-based Dokdo education, where students directly learn and experience the history and nature of Ulleungdo and Dokdo," North Gyeongsang Provincial Superintendent of Education Im Jong-sik said.