– Many big-name foreign educational institutions and investors attended the explanatory session for the school. 

– Embassies of English-speaking countries, foreign chambers of commerce and foreign schools in Korea showed great interest in the plan for recruiting school managing authorities for Gyeonggi-Suwon Foreign School (so named temporarily) as announced by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office in connection with its efforts to foster environment conducive to doing businesses, particularly for foreign businesses. 

– On August 20, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office said that a total of 30-plus institutions and individuals, including a foreign celebrity in Korea, incumbent foreign school managers and many people in the U.S., Canada and Australia, have expressed wiliness to bid for the position since its announcement of the plan for selection of the school managing authorities on August 5 via phone and Internet. 

– At the session for project-related explanation related to the planned selection of the school managing authorities held at the Gyeonggi Small and Medium Business Center on August 20, more than ten big-name school representatives, foreign investors and educational institutions, not to mention individuals, attended. 

– The final selection will be made in mid-October after a stringent process of stringent review and screening. 

– Such a great interest expressed by a multitude of organizations and individuals appear to be due to the provincial office’s positive PR, including the ads carried on Internet and leading dailies on August 5 and dispatch of relevant mails to foreign schools for English-speaking students and other institutions in Korea. 

– A Gyeonggi Province official said, “It appears that foreign institutions in Korea, such as embassies or chambers of commerce, responded enthusiastically to our ad. We will find proper people who can help us enhance the competitiveness of the province by playing a leading role in meeting the need of children’s education for foreign business people staying in the country so that they can apply themselves to their business.” 

– The Gyeonggi Provincial Office has promoted establishment of a world-class foreign school with a view to opening it in August 2006 in response to the strong call from many foreign business people, including hi-tech engineers, staying in the country. 

– “Gyeonggi-Suwon Foreign School” will be located on a site provided by the Suwon City, with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy contributing 10 billion won and 5 billion won for its construction cost. Other expenses, including the expense for ordinary operation, will be assumed by the school managing authorities. 

– The school will include the kindergarten, elementary/secondary school courses for foreign students in Korea. The provincial office sets the proper number of students of the school at 200 at the beginning, which will gradually be increased to 500. Korean students returning home after staying for 5 years or longer in a foreign country will also be given opportunities to further their study at the school, within the limit of 25% of the entire enrollment. 

– The Yeongheung Park area, where the school will be located, neighbors the Samsung Electronics factory, Digital Research Center, the Ieui-dong Administrative Town, the Hi-tech Research Complex and the interchange to the Seoul-Busan Highway.