If the school is a success, the two companies say they could open branches abroad as well
SM Entertainment is joining hands with a crammer to open an international school for aspiring starlets and recruit students next year.
The school will have a middle and high school curriculum for both foreign and local students, teaching them music, dance and set decoration as well as Korean, English and math.
SM and crammer Jongro Academy on Thursday said they want to “nurture global cultural talent” at the school amid growing interest worldwide in Korean pop music and culture.
SM and Jongro Academy expect a large number of Chinese students to apply given the huge popularity of K-pop in China. A recruitment drive in China is planned for November, the same month local selection takes place.
SM will handle the artistic part of the curriculum, while Jongro Academy will take care of Korean, English, math and other academic subjects.
But the school will not be fully accredited, so students will have to take a high-school equivalency exam at the end. Students will be able to choose either a Korean or American curriculum
Park Sa-lim, Seoul