International School of Busan

Mission at the Core

At the heart of the International School of Busan's educational approach is a clearly articulated mission: "We are a diverse, supportive and caring community of learners committed to developing knowledgeable, open-minded and principled global citizens." This statement, published on the school's official Guiding Statements page, is more than a tagline — it shapes curriculum design, pastoral care, and extracurricular programming across all year levels.

The IB Continuum as Philosophical Framework

ISB implements the complete International Baccalaureate continuum, spanning the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). This is not merely an administrative choice but a philosophical commitment: the IB's emphasis on inquiry-based learning, international-mindedness, and reflective practice aligns directly with ISB's mission to produce principled global citizens rather than narrowly skilled examination candidates.

The PYP instils curiosity and agency in young learners; the MYP challenges students to make meaningful connections across disciplines; and the DP asks students to demonstrate both intellectual rigour and ethical responsibility — most visibly through the Theory of Knowledge course, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) requirements.

Vision: Digital Literacy and Sustainable Futures

ISB's vision statement adds a distinctly contemporary dimension: "Our students will be digitally literate, life-long learners who are empowered to contribute creatively and responsibly to a sustainable future." This forward-looking vision reflects the school's investment in technology infrastructure and its recognition that the students graduating today will navigate a world shaped by artificial intelligence, climate change, and global interdependence.

Core Values in Practice

ISB's core values — Diverse, Supportive, Caring, Knowledgeable, Open-Minded, Principled, Global Citizens — are drawn directly from the IB learner profile and permeate daily school life. The school was commended by an IB visiting team for the warmth and cohesion of its community, with staff, students, and parents described as genuinely collaborative members of a tight-knit learning environment.

Holistic Development Beyond the Classroom

ISB's commitment to holistic development is expressed through its robust After School Activities (ASA) programme, its participation in community service initiatives, environmental education (FEE Green Flag accreditation), and the Duke of Edinburgh International Award. The school's philosophy explicitly links academic excellence with community involvement and global citizenship — a combination that prepares students not just for university admission but for lives of purpose and impact.

A Small Beginning in Haeundae

The International School of Busan traces its roots to 1983, when it was established as the International School of Pusan in the seaside district of Haeundae. At its founding, the school welcomed just 12 students — children of expatriate families drawn to Busan by the city's growing role as South Korea's principal port and manufacturing hub. In an era before South Korea's economic miracle was fully realised, the school provided a vital English-medium education for families posted abroad who wanted continuity for their children's schooling.

Decades of Growth

Over the following decades, as Busan's economy expanded and Korea became an increasingly attractive destination for multinational corporations, the school's enrolment grew steadily. It evolved from a small community school into a full K–12 institution, earning formal accreditations from internationally recognised bodies and eventually transitioning to the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP).

The Move to Gijang and Rebranding (2020)

The most transformative chapter in ISB's history came in 2020, when the school completed its relocation to a purpose-built, state-of-the-art campus in Gijang-gun — a coastal district north of central Busan. This move allowed the school to consolidate all programmes on a single, modern site featuring four science laboratories, three libraries, dedicated arts and music facilities, and expansive outdoor sporting grounds. Alongside the physical transformation, the school adopted its current name — the International School of Busan (ISB) — signalling its ambition to serve the entire Busan metropolitan region rather than just the Haeundae enclave.

ISB Today

As of 2026, ISB enrols approximately 349 students from 39 nationalities, taught by 62 educators — yielding an exceptional student-to-teacher ratio of 5.6:1. The school is fully accredited by WASC and CIS, and is an authorised IB World School for all three programmes. Its campus sits at 50 Gijang-daero, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, roughly 30–40 minutes from Busan's KTX station by car. What began as a tiny expatriate school in 1983 is now one of South Korea's most established international schools, offering a genuine IB continuum experience from early childhood through to university preparation.

A Continuum School

The International School of Busan is one of a relatively small number of schools worldwide to offer all three IB programmes under one roof, creating a genuine K–12 IB continuum that allows students to develop as coherent, internationally minded learners from their earliest years through to university entry.

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

In the primary years, ISB's PYP provides a transdisciplinary framework that encourages young students to explore big ideas through six overarching themes — Who We Are, Where We Are in Place and Time, How We Express Ourselves, How the World Works, How We Organise Ourselves, and Sharing the Planet. Assessment is portfolio-based and formative, prioritising understanding and reflection over grades.

Middle Years Programme (MYP)

The MYP bridges primary and diploma studies, asking students to make connections across eight subject groups and to demonstrate learning through authentic assessments. The culminating Personal Project — a self-directed inquiry students complete in Year 5 of MYP — builds independent research skills directly applicable to the DP Extended Essay.

Diploma Programme (DP)

ISB's DP offers a wide range of subjects across six subject groups. Students study English A (Literature or Language & Literature), Korean A or another language, individuals and societies (History, Geography, Economics), sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems), Mathematics (Analysis & Approaches or Applications & Interpretation), and the arts or an additional subject. The core requirements — Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay, and CAS — ensure that academic excellence is paired with intellectual curiosity and community engagement.

Small Classes, Strong Support

With a 5.6:1 student-to-teacher ratio — well below the international school average — ISB can offer genuinely personalised learning. Teachers know their students well, and the school's pastoral structure supports academic risk-taking in a safe environment.

Accreditation and Recognition

ISB is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and is a member of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and ECIS. These accreditations are rigorous, requiring evidence of continuous school improvement and verified academic standards. The school also serves as an official SAT testing centre and an ABRSM music examination centre, demonstrating its commitment to externally validated assessment beyond the IB.

A Purpose-Built Home (2020)

In 2020, the International School of Busan moved into a purpose-built campus at 50 Gijang-daero, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan — a coastal district known for its relatively low urban density, clean air, and proximity to the sea. The site spans 29,909 m² of land with 15,661 m² of built space, giving students and teachers ample room to learn, play, and create.

Academic Facilities

The campus houses four science laboratories, three fully equipped libraries (one for each programme division), a Design Studio, and dedicated technology-enabled classrooms. These spaces reflect the IB's emphasis on hands-on inquiry and creative problem-solving. The design studio in particular supports the MYP's Design subject and the DP's Visual Arts course.

Arts and Music

ISB's commitment to the arts is evident in its dedicated Music Room and practice rooms, Art Room, and support for external music examinations through its status as an ABRSM examination centre. Students can pursue instrumental music, vocal performance, and visual arts to a high level within the school day and through the ASA programme.

Sport and Outdoor Education

The campus offers an indoor gymnasium, outdoor football (soccer) field, two outdoor basketball courts, and tennis courts, alongside two outdoor playgrounds and an indoor playground for younger students. This diversity of sporting spaces supports ISB's seasonal After School Activities programme, which offers football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, dance, and more.

Dining and Community Spaces

A buffet-style school cafeteria provides diverse daily meal options for the entire school community, reflecting the multinational tastes of a student body drawn from 39 countries.

Location and Atmosphere

Gijang's semi-rural coastal character gives the campus a distinctive atmosphere — quieter and greener than central Busan, yet accessible by car (approximately 30–40 minutes from Busan KTX station and 1 hour from Gimhae International Airport). The IB visiting team noted the warmth and cohesion of ISB's school community, and the campus's scale and design support this sense of belonging — large enough to offer excellent facilities, small enough that every student is known by name.

A Genuinely International Community

The International School of Busan is home to approximately 349 students representing 39 nationalities — a remarkable diversity for a school of its size. This breadth of cultural and linguistic backgrounds is not incidental but central to ISB's educational philosophy, which explicitly celebrates diversity as a learning resource.

Who Attends ISB?

ISB primarily serves expatriate families posted to Busan by multinational corporations, consulates, and international organisations, as well as Korean returnee students (帰国子女) who have lived abroad for three or more years and seek an internationally oriented education on their return. A smaller proportion of Korean local families enrol their children seeking an English-medium IB education. Under Korean education regulations, Korean nationals may comprise up to 30% of the student body, ensuring a healthy international majority.

The IB Visiting Team's Assessment

An IB visiting team commended ISB for the quality of its community relationships, noting that staff, students, and parents function as genuine, collaborative members of a close-knit learning community. This observation reflects the school's intentional investment in pastoral care and community-building events.

Pastoral and Wellbeing Culture

ISB's guiding statements emphasise a "supportive and caring community" — values operationalised through the IB's Approaches to Learning (ATL) framework, advisory or homeroom programmes, and the CAS component of the Diploma Programme. The school's focus on compassion and community responsibility creates an environment where students from very different cultural backgrounds learn not just to coexist but to genuinely collaborate.

Parent and Family Engagement

As a relatively small school (under 350 students), ISB benefits from close parent-teacher relationships and an active parent community. The school's location in Gijang — a district where many expatriate families live in relatively close proximity — further strengthens community ties. Events, performances, and service activities regularly bring families together in ways that larger schools struggle to replicate.

Language and Cultural Exchange

With Korean taught as a core subject and English as the medium of instruction, students gain bilingual competence while being immersed in Korean culture and the broader international community. The ASA programme includes Korean language and culture clubs, ensuring that local cultural knowledge is valued alongside global perspectives.