Seoul sets up education centres to close digital divide

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) is extending the number of digital literacy education centres to 14 centres in the capital of South Korean to bridge the digital divide by helping people to use digital devices in their daily activities. The centers will provide three level education programmes (beginner, elementary, and intermediate) to teach people to read Hangul, the Korean alphabet, use digital devices, use public transportation, and others that are needed for daily living. The SMG has further selected 36 literacy education programmes to be run in 2021 to help low-educated and illiterate people use digital communication methods, i.e. text messages. Other customised literacy programmes will be provided to multicultural family members and disabled people. ‘We will continue to support the operation of literacy education programmes to improve the living ability of the underprivileged and expand the opportunity for them to participate in social activities. We will promote literacy education so that there are no people who are excluded in the digitalised world, especially due to the Covid-19 pandemic,’ noted Seoul Metropolitan Government director-general for lifelong learning Lee Dae-hyeon.