South Korea To Open K-Pop High School, International Students Are Eligible To Enroll
International K-Pop fans interested in taking K-Pop courses in South Korea are eligible to enroll at a specialized public high school in Busan, set to open in 2028.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the city's education authorities announced Sunday that a soon-to-close middle school will be turned into a specialized public high school dedicated to K-Pop courses five years from now.
The school will be established in the southeastern port city of Busan and opened in March 2028, per the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education. Located 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, it will be the first K-Pop-centric public school in Busan.
The institution plans to provide its future students with dance, vocal and musical instrument lessons, as well as other arts, in line with the continuously growing K-Pop industry.
Aside from students across South Korea, international students will also be eligible to enroll in the envisioned specialized public high school.
Busan is the hometown of many popular K-Pop idols, including BTS' Jungkook and Jimin, WINNER's Yoon, Apink's Eunji, Oh My Girl's Arin, B1A4's Sandeul, Hwang Min-hyun, SEVENTEEN's Woozi, Jo Yu-ri and DAY6's Sungjin.
In other news, on July 5, 2023, Singapore Raffles Music College (SRMC) revealed "an exciting collaboration that will reshape the performing arts landscape in Singapore."
The school introduced the first-ever K-Pop high school program coming to Singapore through SRMC in partnership with South Korea's prestigious School of Performing Arts (SOPA) in Seoul.
SOPA-SRMC classes will be conducted in English to ensure accessibility and inclusivity for students from diverse backgrounds.
SOPA's esteemed faculty members will teach the students in the program and help them develop their artistic identity through a harmonious blend of styles between K-Pop and other musical influences in Southeast Asia.
"This collaboration not only solidifies Singapore's position as a hub for performing arts education but also embraces both the global appeal of K-Pop and the significance of Pop in Southeast Asia," SRMC wrote in its announcement.
SOPA is a prestigious high school specializing in performing arts since 1966. Its departments range from music, dance, theater and film to stage arts.
Among the school's many notable alumni are BTS' Jungkook, NCT's Jaehyun and Mark Lee, EXO's Kai, Red Velvet's Joy, Bae Suzy, Girl's Day's Lee Hyeri, ITZY's Lia, Oh My Girl's Arin, Viviz's SinB and Eunha and Umji.
