Jeollanamdo Europe Office

Representative Office of Jeollanamdo Provincial Government of South Korea

Category: Education

Goheung County Honors Legacy of Sorok Island’s “Angels” During Visit to Austria

Posted by on in 2025, Education, Jeollanamdo & EuropeLeave a comment

Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do, paid tribute to the lifelong dedication of Marianne Stoeger and the late Margaret Pissarek – widely known as the “Angels of Sorok Island” – during an official visit to Austria on the 13th of November.

The delegation met with Marianne’s family, as well as representatives of the Austrian Catholic Women’s Association, which had provided financial support for the nurses’ volunteer work decades earlier.

Marianne and Margaret, both trained nurses, devoted themselves to caring for patients on Sorok Island beginning in 1962, providing compassion and medical service for more than 40 years before returning to Austria in 2005. Margaret passed away in 2023, while Marianne continues to reside in her home country.

The county, which named them honorary citizens in 2016 and provides a monthly pension, is also promoting their legacy through initiatives such as the Marianne and Margaret Sharing Training Center and youth volunteer programs.

Estonia and Greece Sign Participation Agreements for Yeosu Island Expo, 18 Countries Confirmed

Posted by on in 2025, Education, Events, Jeollanamdo & Europe, TourismLeave a comment

The Organizing Committee for the 2026 Yeosu World Expo has strengthened its global network by signing official participation agreements (MOUs) with the Estonian city of Hiiuma and the Ionian region of Greece, both of which had previously expressed their intention to participate in writing.

With these additions, a total of 18 countries and organizations – including France, Greece, Estonia, Madagascar, Peru, Kenya, and the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health – have confirmed their involvement in the event.

The newly participating countries agreed to work closely with the organizing committee on key areas such as promotional activities, exhibition hall operations, scheduling of national days, and the dispatch of official delegations to ensure the successful hosting of the 2026 Expo.

South Jeolla Province Launches Committee to Attract KRW 1.2 Trillion Artificial Sun Research Facility

Posted by on in 2025, Education, Renewable EnergyLeave a comment

On October 30th, South Jeolla Province, in collaboration with Naju City, Korea Energy University, and representatives from industry, academia, and research institutions, launched the Artificial Sun Research Facility Attraction Committee at Korea Energy University. The committee pledged to position the province as a key hub for future nuclear fusion energy technology through the successful attraction of the research facility. Participants also expressed their strong commitment to establishing Naju as the “center of Korea’s artificial sun research industry.”

The bidding committee has about 120 members, including lawmakers, media, civic and corporate leaders, university presidents, and science and technology experts, to ensure strong local participation and support.

Bid Committee Role to attract the Artificial Sun Research Facility to Naju

  • Promoting public awareness of the bid and mobilizing support
  • Coordinating joint requests to the government to host the facility in Jeollanam-do
  • Collaborating with regional universities, companies, and research institutes
  • Strengthening cooperation between the government and the National Assembly

Following the launch ceremony, South Jeolla Province plans to establish a public-private partnership to host the artificial sun research facility and to accelerate public participation and consensus-building. If selected as the host site, the facility is expected to significantly boost the local economy, attracting over 200 companies and creating more than 10,000 jobs by 2050 through the influx of specialized personnel and the concentration of related industries. The government announced on the 16th that it will select the final candidate site in November after reviewing proposals, conducting on-site evaluations, and assessing presentations.

Korea Institute of Energy Technology (Kentech) in Naju welcomes its first students

Posted by on in 2022, Allgemein, Education, Investment, Renewable Energy, TechnologyLeave a comment

On Wednesday (March 2nd) the Korea Institue of Energy Technology (Kentech) welcomed its first students at its brand new campus in Naju, Jeollanamdo. Kentech is Korea’s first and only university dedicated to energy studies, vowing to foster global talents in fight of climate change and to master the transition to renewable green energy.

The major research areas of Kentech are energy artificial intelligence (AI), new energy materials, the next-generation grid, hydrogen energy, and environmental and climate technology.

The university plans with up to 1,000 students and 100 professors by 2025, the long-term goal is to establish Kentech as one of the world’s top 10 universities by 2050.