The government will extend its support to Jeju to establish an international education city on the island, officials announced.

In 2008, Jeju launched the Jeju Global Education City project to absorb demand for overseas study by creating a world-class educational environment for both Korean and foreign students.

The project, which started with a budget of 1.78 trillion won ($1.6 billion), was originally due for completion in 2015. But the government decided recently to extend it until 2021, following a meeting with officials from the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, project organizers said.

Jeju currently hosts three international schools ― Branksome Hall Asia, the North London Collegiate School Jeju and the Korea International School ― with some 1,360 students enrolled at every level, from pre-kindergarten through high school.

St. Johnsbury Academy, a prestigious U.S. private school, is to open its campus in 2015, and three additional international schools will be added to the island by 2021, according to the Jeju Free International City Development Center, or JDC, which organizes the project.

“We are strongly committed to attracting students especially from Asia, such as China, Japan and Hong Kong, to JGEC,” said Lee Sung-ho, head of the Edu-City Department at JDC.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)