On May 26, Korea University Sejong Campus held a signing ceremony and task force inauguration at Cultural and Sports Building’s Yujung Hall. The event marked the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS), the Korea Social Security Information Service (SSiS), the Korea Childcare Promotion Institute (KCPI), Childcare Center Safety & Insurance Association (CSIA), and the Early Childhood Education Research Center of Korea National University of Education (KNUE) to establish a digital foundation for demand-centered integration of early childhood education and care services.

 

The ceremony was attended by approximately 60 officials, including Vice Minister of Education Oh Seokhwan, Vice President Kim Young of Korea University Sejong, President Kim Hyunjoon of SSiS, President Cho Yongnam of KCPI, Chairperson Kim Youngok of CSIA, Director Byeon Taejun of the Education Finance Division at KERIS, and Professor Kim Eonkyung of the Early Childhood Education Research Center at KNUE.

 

The Ministry of Education is aiming to provide world-class services for young children by formulating an implementation plan for integrated early childhood education and care services. As part of its three key governance reform initiatives, the Ministry is actively working to establish a digital infrastructure, including the ‘2024 development of a unified portal for kindergarten and daycare admissions’ and the ‘2025 completion of a master plan for the Unified Early Childhood Information System.

 

Through this MOU, the seven participating organizations have agreed to collaborate on building a digital foundation to restructure early childhood education and care services with a focus on user needs. Emphasis will be placed on delivering customized services for parents and enhancing the quality of education and care through active inter-agency cooperation.

 

The Ministry launched the task force for the Construction of the Unified Early Childhood Information System, led by the Vice Minister and comprising representatives from 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education and local governments. The task force will be dedicated to building a demand-centered unified system by 2029. The Public Policy Research Institute of Korea University Sejong has been designated as the lead agency for the formulation of and is currently drafting strategic and implementation plans.

 

Vice Minister Oh Seokhwan stated, “It is essential to advance the integration of education and care services with a focus on user needs to improve public satisfaction. Through this MOU, the Ministry will work closely with partner institutions to identify and deliver high-quality digital services that meet public expectations, with active participation from the users themselves.”

 

Vice President Kim Young of Korea University Sejong added, “By participating in the construction of the integrated system, we aim to gather and reflect diverse stakeholder perspectives to establish a stable digital foundation. Korea University will continue to play a key role in driving service improvements that parents can directly experience, serving as a catalyst for digital integration in early childhood services.”

 

KU Sejong Student PR Team, KUS-ON

Translator: Chang Jeoungeun