Home

Seongdong-gu, Republic of Korea

  • City population: 
    297,003
  • City/Urban area: 
    16.84
  • Population Density: 
    More than 500 inhabitants per km²
  • GDP – city: 
    More than USD 25,000
  • GDP - country: 
    USD$ 27,221
  • Average number of years of schooling: 
    11.3

City of ‘Happy Learning Centers’

Located at the north bank of the Han River, Seongdong-gu incorporates the core values of communication, safety, innovation, and participation.

Vision and Motivation

The demand for lifelong learning has rapidly increased due to population growth and aging. Seongdong-gu has made efforts to improve lifelong learning for all in the city and finally been selected as the best lifelong learning city in Seoul in 2015. By joining the UNESCO GNLC, Seongdong-gu will have the opportunity to learn from other members and to share experiences.

Challenges and Goals

As a learning city, Seongdong-gu expects to improve the quality of life of the residents and make them participate more in the learning activities. It will need to create a more widespread culture of learning by promoting learning in communities, families and at the workplace, using modern learning technologies.

Plan and Implementation

In 2015, Seongdong-gu started to operate three happy learning centers (HLC), designed for urban small learning communities, and expanded them to seventeen in 2016. So residents can easily access a HLC located nearby and get various lifelong learning opportunities. The HLCs will constantly expand and develop more learning programs for individual needs. Also, Seongdong-gu plans to build a lifelong learning center equipped with three class rooms, a global house, a book café, etc. Not only does the center provide space for learning, but it also motivates the residents to take action and support the community’s vision for a more sustainable society.

UIL is not responsible for the content of this city profile.