• On September 6 (Sun), High-Five took place to commemorate Seoul Learn’s 5th anniversary, with about 300 attendees, including Seoul Mayor Oh, students, mentors, and parents.
• In the Growth Talk session, Mayor Oh, students, and mentors discussed growth, companionship, and leaps, as well as Seoul Learn’s achievements to date.
• Teacher Yoon Hye-jeong and Virtuous-cycle Mentor Seo Moon Min-kyeong were appointed Seoul Learn ambassadors. Seoul Learn unveiled its new BI during the event, representing growth and expansion.
• As of late August this year, Seoul Learn’s cumulative members reached over 44,000. As Seoul Learn has lowered membership criteria, the eligible population expanded from 120,000 to 170,000.
• Mayor Oh stated, “It will serve as a reliable, trustworthy “ladder of growth” that helps teenagers shape their dreams and futures.”

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, September 9, 2026 –

# I strongly recommend Seoul Learn to those with clear goals but realistic limitations and barriers.

# Thanks to Seoul Learn, I had another chance when I could have been left behind in education.

# I came to have faith in myself for the first time in my life after I made it to the national college entrance exam (College Scholastic Ability Test) with Seoul Learn.

Feedback from Seoul Learn members

The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s major educational welfare policy, Seoul Learn, celebrated its fifth anniversary. The number of members increased significantly, from about 9,000 in the first year to 44,000 this year. It also set a record high of 914 students admitted to universities this year. The cumulative number of Seoul Learn members admitted to universities over the past five years is a surprising 2,840. Moreover, the policy’s impact is spreading further. Seven local governments, including Chungbuk and Gimpo, have signed agreements with the SMG to adopt Seoul Learn.

The SMG hosted “High-Five Seoul Learn” on September 6 (Sun) to reflect on the past five years of achievements and share a vision to elevate Seoul Learn from an educational ladder into a “ladder of growth,” supporting teenagers in pursuing their dreams and designing their futures. At the event, Seoul Learn’s new brand identity (BI) was unveiled, and an appointment ceremony was held for ambassadors, teacher Yoon Hye-jeong and Virtuous-cycle Mentor Seo Moon Min-kyeong.

On the afternoon of September 6th at the Multipurpose Hall of Seoul City Hall, about 300 participants attended the High-Five Seoul Learn event. Attendees included Mayor Oh Se-hoon, member students, mentors, and parents.

The event consisted of two main parts. Part 1 featured an ambassador appointment ceremony, the announcement of the redesigned brand identity (BI), and a talk on Seoul Learn’s growth story. Part 2 featured a special lecture by Teacher Yoon Hye-jeong on “True Growth through Self-Directed Learning”.

<Reflecting on the past five years and envisioning the future during a talk, ambassador appointments, and new BI>

The key part of the event was the “Growth Talk, Sharing Seoul Learn’s Achievements,” where Mayor Oh, Seoul Learn member students, and mentors had a chat together to reflect on the past years of Seoul Learn and discuss its future directions.

One of the major Korean language lecturers on the EBS and a teacher at Kang-il High School, Yoon Hye-jeong was appointed as new Seoul Learn ambassador. Alongside her, Seo Moon Min- Kyeong was appointed, who was a member student of Seoul Learn and is now serving as a Virtuous-cycle Mentor on the Seoul Learn platform. Helping younger students with learning and career preparation, she is a golden example of the virtuous cycle of companionship and growth, which are Seoul Learn’s values. Both ambassadors will promote Seoul Learn’s values.

The new BI unveiled during the event visually expressed growth and expansion, symbolizing that member students start learning, gain experiences, overcome challenges, and reach their true potential. This redesigned BI embodies the SMG’s vision to transform Seoul Learn into a comprehensive platform for growth, providing a wide range of growth-related support, including learning, mentoring, career planning, school admissions, and activities, to help member students realize their full potential.

<Seoul Learn eligible population was expanded to 170,000. Support for AI education to strengthen future capabilities. Academic performance is improving among 44,000 member students>

In July this year, the SMG has adjusted the eligibility criteria for Seoul Learn membership to level the playing field for students and advance the value of “companionship with the vulnerable.” The eligibility threshold was relaxed from households with incomes at or below 60% of the median income to those at or below 80%. It is also now available for children from multi-child families, children who attend community child centers, grandchildren of national veterans, and children who reside in single-parent family welfare facilities. As a result, the number of people eligible to benefit from Seoul Learn increased from about 120,000 to 170,000.

The cumulative number of Seoul Learn members exceeded 44,000 as of late August, a fivefold increase from 9,069 in the first year of service. University admissions for the 2026 academic year set a record high of 914 students, nearly doubling from 462 students in the 2023 academic year.
– Members by year: 9,069 in 2021,17,640 in 2022, 22,924 in 2023, 31,179 in 2024, 37,642 in
– University admissions by year: 462 students in 2023, 682 in 2024, 782 in 2025, 914 in 2026.
Total: 2,840 students.

The data show that Seoul Learn member students have steadily improved their academic capabilities and learning attitudes. According to a performance evaluation survey, academic capability scores rose from 75 in 2022 to 83 in 2025, while learning attitude scores went up from 75 to 85 over the same period. Among high school student members, average grades improved by 0.36 points after using Seoul Learn.
– Performance evaluation survey: Hankuk Research conducted from 2022 to 2025, with 1,000 Seoul Learn users, converted to a 100-point scale.

Seoul Learn’s achievements are extending into workforce entry, beyond education and university admissions. In a school admission and career survey conducted early this year, 75 members secured jobs, more than triple last year. 95% of members who entered universities or secured jobs answered that they would recommend Seoul Learn to others.

Seoul Learn Mentoring, which recorded a 95% satisfaction rate from mentees last year, is a key program that supports students’ study, learning habits, career exploration, and emotional well- being. In the first half of this year, about 1,600 mentors, including college students and seniors, are providing customized guidance to member students.

Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “Seoul Learn was born out of the city’s policy of companionship with the vulnerable, with the goal of narrowing educational gaps caused by economic circumstances and offering a fair starting line and opportunities for growth for all adolescents. Our greatest achievement over the past five years is not improved academic grades or university admissions, but opening opportunities for young people to shape their futures through their efforts and talents, regardless of where they started.”

“We will transform Seoul Learn, a ladder of education, into a ladder of growth that always accompanies youth as they pursue their dreams and thrive,” he concluded.