Seoul, S. Korea: First special school opens in eastern Seoul

Oct 27, 2025,  Maeil Business Newspaper: Dongjin School (tentative name), the first special school in eastern Seoul

https://www.mk.co.kr/en/society/11452380

Dongjin School (tentative name), the first special school in eastern Seoul, opened its first shovel in Sinnae-dong, Jungnang-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. Since the establishment plan came out in 2012, construction has only begun in 13 years to move candidate sites nine times.

In the meantime, parents of students with disabilities in the neighborhood had to go to school for more than three hours to receive their children. On this day, a parent said, "I used to put my child to sleep with socks on to save time in the morning." Another parent laughed bitterly, saying, "I kept asking for a special class at a nearby middle school, and even the teachers ran away from me."

It's not just Dongjin School. When Sungjin School in Seongdong-gu was recently established and Seojin School in Gangseo-gu was established in 2017, parents with students with disabilities had to kneel and appeal with tears to persuade local residents.

Parents of Disabled Students Protesting the Establishment of Sungjin School

In the education world, 'integrated education' that allows disabled children to be educated and mingled together in general schools is a global trend. However, in Korean society, even separate education that can provide proper education to students with disabilities, let alone integrated education, is not properly implemented.

According to the Ministry of Education, 3,210 students from 1,761 schools nationwide are eligible for special education who attend schools without special classes even at this moment. Even if there is a spare classroom, it is rare to avoid installing special classes and allocate the space to special education even if it is closed due to a lack of students.

The damage is not limited to students with disabilities. Parents have to give up their work to commute to school for students with disabilities, and the life of the family in charge of care virtually stops. Siblings cannot fully enjoy the daily life that their peers should enjoy 'just because they have a family with disabilities'. Some families choose to move, but the burden of housing costs in areas with special schools is another wall.

However, the National Assembly is discussing a bill that can establish special schools only with the approval of the education authorities without the resolution of local councils. It's a fortunate change. Ensuring that it does not take 13 years to start construction of a school is not a consideration, but a duty that the state must bear.