Yongsan District is launching free, mandatory survival swimming lessons for all primary grades at Itaewon Elementary School starting Sept. 1. The program is the first in a Seoul district to fully fund water survival training for first through sixth graders. Officials tied the move to Itaewon’s large foreign and multicultural population and said they will review the pilot before expanding it next year.
The indoor swimming pool at Itaewon Elementary School in Yongsan District, central Seoul / Courtesy of Yongsan District Office
Authorities in Itaewon, Seoul’s multicultural hub, are launching a pioneering public safety program: free, mandatory survival swimming lessons for all elementary grade levels at Itaewon Elementary School starting Sept. 1.
The initiative, announced Friday by the Yongsan District office, marks the first time a Seoul district has fully funded water survival training for every grade, from first through sixth. While the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education traditionally sponsors water safety instruction only for third and fourth graders, Yongsan amended municipal sports ordinances to absorb all fees and extend coverage to all primary students, many of whom come from the area’s large population of foreign diplomats, expatriates and multicultural families.
