SM Entertainment is expanding their recruiting tactics in a completely unprecedented way.
According to Korean media outlet Yonhap News on May 27, the Korean entertainment giant is planning to create an international K-pop school in the middle of the Gangnam neighborhood in Seoul.
The school will have both middle and high school students and will be a joint project between SM Entertainment and Jongro Academy, a chain of after-school academies in Korea.
With an all-inclusive strategy of accepting aspiring celebrities from both within Korea and abroad, the school will also teach basic classes like Korean, English, and math, in addition to practical skills necessary to become an idol: dancing and singing.
On the morning on May 27, SM signed a contract with Jongro Academy registering the name "K-pop International School," showing that both sides are serious in pursuing the goal of establishing Korea's first K-pop school.
The school is currently being built, with an estimated completion date of early 2017, according to both sides.
The school plans to accept 70 percent of it's students from China and other foreign countries, while the remaining 30 percent will be made up of aspiring celebrities who are Korean. In total, the school will have 300-400 students.
With their business expertise, SM will focus on strategy and operating the school, while Jongro Academy will be in charge of educating the students.
