| Yongsan International School of Seoul 서울 용산 국제 학교 | |
| Location: | Seoul |
| Country: | South Korea |
| Coordinates: | 37.5406°N 127.0006°W |
| Established: | 1990 (ICS Seoul) 2006 (YISS) |
| Type: | Private School |
| District: | Yongsan |
| Headmaster: | Sean Garrick |
| Enrollment: | ~1000 |
| Mascot: | Guardians |
Yongsan International School of Seoul (YISS) is a kindergarten (age 5) to 12th grade college-preparatory private international school, operated under a joint agreement between the Korea Foreign Schools Foundation and the Network of International Christian Schools (NICS). It is accredited by WASC and ACSI. The school offers both secular and faith-based instructional tracks drawn from the American and standards-based instructional models, as well as a variety of Advanced Placement (AP) courses at the high school level
The student body of approximately 1,000 students represents more than 50 countries.[1]
YISS is located in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu. The school is built on 23,100 square meters of land leased from the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2005 for 50 years at a value of 50 billion won (US$50 million). The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy provided funding of 13 billion won (US$13 million) for construction costs and the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) financed additional costs of 20 billion won (US$20 million).[2]
In 2018, the SAT scores of the 12th grade students was 1,460 (U.S. national average was 1,068). In 2018, the average ACT Score of the 12th grade students was 30.5 (U.S. national average was 21). YISS offers 26 Advanced Placement (AP) Courses. Half of the high school students were enrolled in at least 1 AP course in 2018 with 93% of the students scoring 3+ and 51% of the students scoring a 5.[3]
Graduates went on to many prestigious higher educational institutions including Harvard University, Northwestern University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Duke University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Stanford University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, Pepperdine University, University of Toronto (Canada), University of York (UK), University of Queensland (Australia), Goethe University (Germany), S P Jain School of Global Management (Singapore), Seoul National University (Korea), Korea University (Korea), and Yonsei University (Korea).[4] [3]
During the summer of 2017, the Korean Foreign Schools Foundation (KFSF) initiated and funded a major renovation of the entrance to YISS. The new additions include a new gate, trellises, sidewalks, a pedestrian staircase, terraced seating, landscaping, and a large metallic mosaic facade.[6] During the summer of 2021 the kindergarten classrooms were extensively renovated to facilitate play-based learning, and a new kindergarten playground area was installed.
YISS competes with international and Department of Defense (DoDDS) schools as a member of the Korean American Interscholastic Activities Conference (KAIAC) in the Blue Division. For international competition, YISS is part of the Asia Christian Schools Conference (ACSC), which includes schools from Guam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand.
High School Fall Sports (August–October):
High School Winter Sports (November–February):
High School Spring Sports (February–May):
Middle School Quarter 1 Sports (August–October):
Middle School Quarter 2 Sport (October–December):
Middle School Quarter 3 Sport (January–March):
Middle School Quarter 4 Sports (March–May):
The Guardians Outreach Education & Service (GOES) program (formerly known as Guardians with a Message (GWAM)) provides high school students with opportunities to serve and learn in Korea and throughout Asia during Spring Break. About half of the high school student body participates.[7]
Immersion is a program created with middle schoolers in mind. There are three foundational pieces of this program: spiritual growth and development, community service, and cultural immersion.
GOES and Immersion trips send students to places such as Manila, Baguio, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Yanji, Gunsan, Geoje, Jeju, and Taebaek.[8]
Students participate in Model United Nation events such as BEIMUN[9] and SEOMUN. They also participate in the Chess Tournament.
There has been some controversy as to how students are admitted, particularly those of Korean ethnicity. In 2008 the school was accused of admitting unqualified students who were children of Korean staff within the schools.
In 2024, seven current and former employees submitted complaints to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, alleging that the schools hiring practices discriminate against Korean nationals, individuals of Korean descent, or spouses of Korean nationals. [10]