Korean Schools in China

[Anchor Lead]

Many Korean schools in China suffer from inadequate facilities. Korean expatriates in Suzhou and Shanghai are rolling up their sleeves to create new schools.

[Pkg]

The Korean school in Suzhou is housed in a building rented from a Chinese school. The classroom is so narrow that there is not even enough space to hang a blackboard. It is instead placed against a window. The cafeteria is also small, to such an extent that students must be divided into three groups to eat in turn. With no school yard, gym classes are held on the concrete ground in front of the building. The wide yard of the neighboring Chinese middle school is inaccessible.

[Soundbite] Korean Students : "We cannot cross over. (You can't go over?) No. We need permission to cross over."

[Soundbite] "(You need permission?) Yes. (That's why you play here?) Yes."

Korean people living in the Chinese city have ended up launching efforts to build a new Korean school. The problem is the construction budget, which amounts to some 13 million U.S. dollars. Unlike overseas Japanese schools that are directly established by the Japanese government, 50% of the budget to build a new Korean school is paid by expats. Five years have passed already since a fundraising campaign was launched.

[Soundbite] Im Kyung-hee(Chairwoman, Shanghai Korean Businesswomen's Assoc.) : "We wanted to participate, in hopes that children will learn diligently and grow beautifully."

However, the proceeds are still far from enough.

[Soundbite] Lee Sang-cheol(Chairman, Korean School in Suzhou) : "We must build a school even on credit. We will have no place to go if students cannot move in here on September 1."

There are currently 12 Korean schools in China. Among them, nine are similarly housed amid poor environments in rented buildings.