At the 2026 Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Education Administrative Council meeting held on the 23rd in the main conference room of the Jeju Provincial Office of Education, Jeju Superintendent of Education Ko Ui-suk (left) and Governor Wi Seong-gon hold up a joint cooperation agreement. The two institutions agreed on eight items, including expanding school safety police officers and funding school meals next year. Photo: Jeju Special Self-Governing Province 【Financial News Jeju—Reporter Jeong Yong-bok】 The deployment of two additional school safety police officers in Jeju has been postponed from this year to the second half of next year. Jeju Province and the Jeju Provincial Office of Education agreed to split the personnel costs of the six existing school safety police officers equally and increase school meal funding to 70.3 billion won in 2027.According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education on the 23rd, the two institutions held the 2026 Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Education Administrative Council meeting that morning in the main conference room of the Provincial Office of Education, with Jeju Governor Wi Seong-gon and Superintendent of Education Ko Ui-suk serving as co-chairs.The meeting, the first since the launch of the ninth popularly elected administration, reached agreement on eight items, including student safety, educational welfare and improvements to the educational environment. Kang Dong-woo, chair of the Education Committee of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council, and council member Oh Eun-cho also attended.The key items were expanding the school safety police officer program and sharing personnel costs. The program is jointly run by the Jeju Provincial Office of Education and the Jeju Autonomous Police Corps. Autonomous police officers are stationed at schools, where they handle safety during student arrivals and departures, patrol school grounds, and provide education to prevent school violence and crime.Jeju began operating the program at three high schools in 2024 and currently has school safety police officers assigned to six high schools. The two institutions agreed to share the personnel costs of the six existing officers equally and pursue the addition of two officers, with deployment planned for the second half of 2027.The timing of the increase has been pushed back from the original plan. In February, the Provincial Office of Education said it would assign two additional officers by the end of this year, but the agreement revised the target to the second half of next year. Jeju Governor Wi Seong-gon and Superintendent of Education Ko Ui-suk sign a joint cooperation agreement at the Jeju Provincial Office of Education on the 23rd. The two institutions agreed to share equally the personnel costs of the six existing school safety police officers and pursue the deployment of two additional officers in the second half of 2027. Photo: Jeju Special Self-Governing Province They also agreed on joint action to promote respect for students’ lives. At the Education Committee of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council, figures showing that 70 students had attempted suicide or engaged in self-harm through August this year were presented, bringing the effectiveness of early identification of at-risk students and connecting them with treatment and counseling to the fore as a key issue.Jeju Province and the Provincial Office of Education agreed to strengthen a cooperation system involving local governments, relevant institutions and schools, and to pursue joint campaigns and healing programs. However, specific support procedures for at-risk students and the roles of individual institutions will need to be established in a subsequent implementation plan.The two institutions agreed that school meal funding for next year would total 70.3 billion won, an increase of 600 million won from this year. The per-student subsidy for free school meals will rise by 160 won, from 4,257 won this year to 4,417 won next year. The subsidy for eco-friendly meals will also increase by 30 won, from 713 won to 743 won.The two institutions also agreed on the proposed 2027 budget for statutory transfers. Statutory transfers are educational funds that Jeju Province transfers to the Provincial Office of Education under relevant laws.They will also jointly pursue the development of educational facilities for students receiving special education. They agreed to include, in annual plans, the costs of developing the infrastructure needed for the construction of a provisionally named Jeju Special Education Research Institute.As a measure related to residents’ daily lives, the institutions will link book-return services at public libraries run by local governments and the Provincial Office of Education. They plan to establish a system for transferring books and linking computer systems so users can return books at a nearby library. Officials from Jeju Province and the Provincial Office of Education discuss educational issues at an Education Administrative Council meeting held on the 23rd in the main conference room of the Jeju Provincial Office of Education. They agreed that school meal funding for next year would total 70.3 billion won, an increase of 600 million won from this year. Photo: Jeju Special Self-Governing Province They also agreed to cooperate on the stable operation of the One Student, One Sport program, which supports physical activity among elementary school students, and International Baccalaureate (IB) education. IB is an international education program centered on inquiry, discussion and thinking skills.In a joint declaration issued that day, the two institutions also agreed to cooperate on creating educational conditions in response to efforts to attract relocated public institutions, building a regionally tailored educational ecosystem, jointly using school facilities, and promoting a culture of respect for life.Governor Wi said, “I will work closely with the Provincial Office of Education to ensure that the tasks agreed on today lead to tangible changes in the field of education.”Superintendent Ko also stated, “I will actively cooperate with Jeju Province on key issues, including student safety and improving the quality of IB education.”Governor Wi also proposed setting up a separate working-level cooperation body, including through the dispatch of staff. Superintendent Ko expressed support for the idea, but the specific form of the body and its operating schedule have not been finalized.The agreement spelled out how personnel costs for school safety police officers will be shared and the scale of school meal funding. The actual deployment of additional officers, establishment of a support system to promote respect for life, and development of infrastructure for special education facilities are expected to proceed subject to future budget allocations and implementation plans.[email protected] Jeong Yong-bok Reporter
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