Yongsan High School

Yongsan High School (Korean: 용산고등학교) is a public high school in Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea for boys in grades 10 to 12 (ages 16 to 19). It is one of the few public schools in Seoul with boarding facilities.[1]

Yongsan High School
(용산고등학교, 龍山高等學校)
Location
Yongsan, Seoul

South Korea
Information
TypePublic, Day & boarding
Motto至誠
(Hangul: 지성; English: Diligence)
Established1946
GenderBoys
Enrollment900+
Campusurban
Color(s)Blue
Websiteyongsan.sen.hs.kr

History

The origins of Yongsan High School date back to the Japanese colonial era but the school only officially recognizes 1946 as the foundation since that school exclusively educated children of Japanese military officials. As with many Seoul-based education institutions, the school was forced to evacuate to Busan in 1951 and remained there for the duration of the Korean War. In September 1953 the school returned to Seoul and briefly shared buildings with the U.S. military forces while the nearby existing base was being renovated. The school continues to occupy the same plot of land but expanded and added new buildings over the years. The current main building was completed in 1999 and a new dormitory was built in 2011 to accommodate boarders.[2]

Academics

Yongsan High School is classified as a "general high school" (일반계 고등학교) with a science and mathematics-focused program, which differs from the more selective and specialized "science high schools" (과학영재학교) such as Seoul Science High School.[3][4] In addition to its mandated intake of boys residing within the vicinity and from designated feeder middle schools, it also accepts academically-gifted students from around Seoul who qualify for the program.[5][6]

Athletics

Yongsan High School is known for its sports teams, especially in field hockey and basketball.[7][8] Its student athletes are regularly called up to the youth national teams in both sports.

The field hockey team is considered a powerhouse in high school hockey. More recently, they were back-to-back Presidential National Hockey Tournament champions (2019 and 2020) and reached the final for the third consecutive time in 2021.[9][10][11]

It was one of the earliest high schools to introduce basketball and has continuously produced players who have gone on to play professionally in the Korean Basketball League and the South Korean national team.[12][13] During the 1960s to 1980s, it gained a reputation as one of the city's top schools for high school basketball, along with Whimoon and Kyungbock, the latter of which is still considered Yongsan's biggest rival to this day.[12][14] As of 2021, Yongsan High School has produced three overall number 1 draft picks in the annual Korean Basketball League rookie draft, the second most of any high school in the country.[15][16]

Notable alumni

The term "Yongsan mafia" has been used by the media to refer to "old boy" connections in domestic basketball, even if the aforementioned mentioned names were never contemporaries or actually knew one another from their school days. Around 2005, the downfall of the company Sambo Computer, the parent company of TG Sambo which owned the Wonju-based basketball team (now Wonju DB Promy), led investigative journalists to discover that the company founder's son and a large number of the team's administration, players and coaching staff were Yongsan High School alumni.[20][21] The term was again used during the 2007-08 season as the managers of the top four teams in the league were all alumni of Yongsan High School.[22] When Ulsan Mobis Phoebus defeated Jeonju KCC Egis in the play-off finals to win the 2010 KBL Championship, The Chosun Ilbo referred to the victory as "Kyungbock family defeats Yongsan mafia"; Ulsan Mobis Phoebus manager Yoo Jae-hak and captain Woo Ji-won and then Hyundai Mobis vice president Hwang Yeol-heon were Kyungbock graduates while Jeonju KCC Egis manager Hur Jae, several KCC players and the KCC founder's sons Chung Mong-ik and Chung Mong-jin were all Yongsan alumni.[23][24]

Yongsan High School was mentioned in the film Rebound, a biographical film about Busan Joongang High School's run to the 2012 National Basketball Championship final. The two schools eventually met in the final. Yongsan High School predictably won but Joongang High School, having reached the final with only five available players and no substitutes, attracted much media attention as the tournament underdog.[25]

References
  1. "故 정상영 KCC 명예회장 유산 1500억 사회환원". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 2 June 2021.
  2. "학교소개 — 학교역사" (in Korean). Yongsan High School website.
  3. "2016년 과학중점학교 운영 현황" (PDF) (in Korean). Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity (한국과학창의재단). 1 May 2016.
  4. "<그래픽> 과학중점학교 지정 학교". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 20 June 2010.
  5. "과학 중점 학교의 강점을 가진 전통의 명문고 - 용산고등학교" (in Korean). Middle School Review (Naver blog). 13 November 2020.
  6. "[이지스터디]과학중점학교 작년보다 '좁은 문'". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 3 December 2010.
  7. "-대통령기농구- 용산고.숙명여고 우승" (in Korean). KBS. 30 June 2000.
  8. "용산고/농구·하키 등 운동종목서도 "발군"(이 학교)". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 21 October 1995.
  9. "성일고, 대통령기 하키 우승…김병진 MVP·이규진 득점상". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 22 September 2021.
  10. "용산고, 대통령기 전국하키대회 남고부 우승". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 15 August 2020.
  11. "용산고·태장고, 대통령기 전국하키대회 남녀 고등부 우승". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 16 August 2019.
  12. "[매거진] 2021년 코트는 우리가 접수한다, 고교농구 정상탈환 노리는 용산고". Jumpball (in Korean). 17 February 2021.
  13. "신흥 명문고(高) 스타들, 코트를 지배하다". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 30 December 2009.
  14. "대학농구의 젖줄, 농구 명문 고교 탐방기 2. 용산고 편" (in Korean). Korea University Sports Federation Official Naver blog. 10 March 2014.
  15. "연세대 이정현, '군산고 최초 1순위' 될 수 있을까". Jumpball (in Korean). 24 September 2021.
  16. "[KBL 드래프트] '1순위로 삼성행' 이원석, "전혀 예상 못했다"" (in Korean). BasketKorea.com. 28 September 2021.
  17. "'최고경영자 100人' 배출한 지역별 명문고[입체분석]". Speconomy (in Korean). 8 March 2015.
  18. "신임 검찰수사심의위원장에 강일원 前헌법재판관". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 17 September 2021.
  19. "[박중훈의 續세상스크린]자랑스러운 내 친구, 허재". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 27 April 2004.
  20. "[프로농구] '원주 TG'의 우승비결". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 4 March 2003.
  21. "TG삼보 모회사 법정관리…'용산 마피아'의 일장춘몽". The Chosun Ilbo. 19 May 2005.
  22. "프로농구 휩쓰는 '용산고의 힘'". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 15 December 2007.
  23. "경복고 출신 주도 모비스, 용산고 인맥 주축 KCC 꺾어". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 12 April 2010.
  24. "신선우·전창진 감독 등 '용산高 전성시대'". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 16 May 2005.
  25. "한국판 슬램덩크…11년 전 부산중앙고의 기적". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). March 29, 2023.

37.5456°N 126.9798°E / 37.5456; 126.9798

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