On the afternoon of the 10th, in the main auditorium of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, the oldest participant, Grandmother Oh Sang-ho (96), receives her middle school academic recognition certificate at the certification ceremony for the 2025 school year Literacy Education Program. Jun-Yong Kim

“Learning character by character made me so happy that I spent the whole day thinking only about the letters I learned that day, and if, after lying down to sleep, I couldn’t recall those letters, I would get up again to check.”

On the afternoon of the 10th, Oh Sang-ho (96), with a head of white hair, put on a mortarboard and stepped onto the dais in the main auditorium of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education to share her thoughts. She was the oldest participant at the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education’s ‘12th Certification Ceremony for the Literacy Education Program for the 2025 school year’. As Oh haltingly read her remarks, applause rose from the audience. Some quietly wiped away tears at her words.

Originally from Gyeongju, she said, “I took on the academic certification program because I was afraid that not being able to study would become a lifelong regret.” On this day, a total of 197 people (131 elementary·66 middle school) received academic certification from the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education alongside Oh.

Participating in the academic recognition program at the Busan Gireogi Cultural Center, Oh said that despite her advanced age, she did not miss a single day in three years. Song Seon-ja, who received recognition that day along with Oh, said, “I watched from the side, and she was the one who came first and studied the hardest.” Oh said, “During the three years of studying, there was not a single difficult moment. Learning something was nothing but joy,” adding, “On days I went to school, I would even cast aside my cane and run.”

Academic-recognition literacy education is a program for non-literate adults aged 18 and over who missed out on learning opportunities. In Busan, 196 people first received academic recognition through this program in 2014. By the 2025 school year, about 2,000 people had their elementary·middle school academic attainment recognized. This year, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education is operating 56 programs at 15 institutions, two more than last year.

Kim Seok-jun, the superintendent of education in Busan, said, “I send deep respect to those who have achieved such a valuable outcome.” Grandmother Oh said, “At 96, like a 16-year-old, I came to receive a middle school diploma,” adding, “The spring·autumn picnics and the warm bungeoppang in the cold winter are all unforgettable memories. I hope the juniors will also enjoy healthy and happy school lives.”