Authorities in Itaewon, Seoul’s multicultural hub, are launching a pioneering public safety program: free, mandatory survival swimming lessons for all elementary grade levels at Itaewon Elementary School starting Sept. 1. The initiative, announced Friday by the Yongsan District office, marks the first time a Seoul district has fully funded water survival training for every grade, from first through sixth. While the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education traditionally sponsors water safety instruction only for third and fourth graders, Yongsan amended municipal sports ordinances to absorb all fees and extend coverage to all primary students, many of whom come from the area’s large population of foreign diplomats, expatriates and multicultural families. The policy carries heightened relevance in Yongsan District, long regarded as the global epicenter of the Korean capital. According to municipal demographic data, Yongsan is home to roughly 18,000 registered foreign residents, accounting for nearly eight percent of the district’s population — one of the highest concentrations of no