CJ Innovation Executive Director Yoo Yoon Jae
Contributed photo
THE Board of Education has adopted Resolution 2025-003, declaring interest in facilitating academic and cultural exchange programs with schools administered by the Gyeonggido Suwon Office of Education in the province of Gyeonggi in South Korea.
Adopted unanimously on May 7, 2025, the resolution states that establishing a sister-school partnership between the schools of the CNMI and Gyeonggi province “would benefit all participating students, teachers, schools, and their respective communities.”
The Gyeonggido Suwon Office of Education handles a total of 1.6 million students in 4,647 schools within 25 district offices of education in Gyeonggi, South Korea’s most populous province.
According to the resolution, the BOE recognizes the value of cultural exchanges between students from other countries as opportunities to experience the customs, culture, and language of another country. These exchanges are often memorable learning experiences for students and teachers and help promote global awareness, the BOE stated.
The Gyeonggido Suwon Office of Education, the BOE added, “recognizes the mutual benefits of establishing bonds between our students and educators.”
Last week, the BOE members met with CJ Innovation Executive Director Yoo Yoon Jae, who will serve as the intermediary between the BOE and the Gyeonggido Suwon Office of Education.
The BOE also discussed an arrangement for a future meeting to develop a memorandum of understanding for a sister-school partnership.
In an interview with Variety, Yoo said CJ Innovation has a good relationship with the Gyeonggido Suwon Office of Education, whose officials find CJ Innovation a reliable company and that is why “they trust us,” he added.
Yoo said the Gyeonggido Office of Education has designated one of its school districts as the signatory of an MOU with the CNMI.
He said the sister-school partnership will pave the way for academic and cultural exchange programs, as well as friendship sports events.
Also, he added, the Gyeonggido Office of Education is looking into the possibility of sending its teachers to the CNMI for ESL (English as a Second Language) training. They will also look into the possibility of organizing an English camp on Saipan in the future, Yoo said.
He said CJ Innovation is undertaking this initiative to support the CNMI’s economic recovery.
Korean students who will travel to the CNMI under the proposed sister-school partnership are expected to help boost visitor arrivals. If these students and their families leave with a good impression of the islands, Yoo said, the CNMI could pursue education tourism.
“Officials of Gyeonggi province know we have a project here, so they don’t doubt why CJ Innovation is able to do all this. CJ Innovation is always happy to help,” Yoo said.
CJ Innovation is the contractor for the federally funded construction of the new Hopwood school building.
