K-pop high school to open in Busan

International students will be eligible to apply, education authorities say

Ha Yoon-su, the superintendent of education in Busan attends a briefing held at Busan Metropolitan City office of Education on Thursday. (Busan Metropolitan City office of Education)

A high school specializing in educating students in K-pop and related performances will open in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, by 2028, the city’s education authorities announced Friday.

The school will provide quality vocal, dance, composing and songwriting lessons taught by experienced K-pop faculty.

International students will be eligible to apply, Ha Yoon-su, the superintendent of education in Busan, said in an official briefing.

An official at the Busan Metropolitan Government told The Korea Herald that officials are currently reviewing several options for the location of the envisioned school.

“It is likely to be a currently empty school in the Gangseo-gu area of Busan," the official said.

Construction is scheduled to commence in January 2027, with the school expected to open its doors in March 2028.

“The school is still in the early stages of planning," the Busan official added.

The authorities plan to create a task force for the school. Details including its size and curriculum will be decided later.

If materialized, it will be the first public school dedicated to K-pop in Busan.

High School of Korean Pop and Performing Arts, Korea's first K-pop high school opened in South Chungcheong Province in 2020, while some teen members of K-pop groups currently went, or currently go, to a private high school in Seoul, School of Performing Arts.

By Jung Min-kyung(mkjung@heraldcorp.com)