The innovative coaching project, run in partnership with the British Council, sees Premier League coaches help local coaches in developing their coaching skills but also teaches them to use football as a tool for skills and community development.
The one week course in the Yangpyung district of Korea will run until 27th August and is the first course that has included participants who have disabilities. These include those who are deaf, blind, have cerebral palsy and learning difficulties.
The project is supported by local partners MBC Football and the Korean Football Association for the Disabled (KFAD). In total 44 community coaches from all over Korea are participating, with half of them currently coaching or being involved in disabled football teams.
The project is being led by four Premier League coaches who are especially experienced in community and disability football coaching. Everton's Johnnie Gartside is the head coach and he is joined by his Goodison colleagues Scott Black and Andrew Brady, as well Tottenham Hotspur's James Hemmings.
Premier Skills is the centrepiece of the Premier League's International Good Causes Programme.
Following pilots in Egypt and India, it has rapidly rolled out to a total of 18 projects across 10 countries, from Africa to China, India and South East Asia. More projects will be added between now and the end of the 2009/10 season with the overall aim to train 1,000 coaches, who will go on to impact on the lives of a further 100,000 people.
The Korea project is the tenth to take place in Asia following courses in China (Beijing, Dalian, Shanghai), Hong Kong, India (Delhi, Kolkata, Goa and Kerela) and Vietnam.
Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore said: "The Premier League is becoming increasingly popular in Asia and we are fortunate to have several Korean football stars play in England. It is important we use our profile and reach to encourage and engage communities - the roll-out of Premier Skills projects will do just that.
"Our partnership with the British Council will help develop the skills of local youth leaders for the long term benefit of their local communities. It is particularly pleasing that Korea is breaking new ground by being the first Premier Skills course to deliver disability coaching."
Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council, said: "I know first-hand that there is huge demand for English in Korea and that interest in the Premier League is bigger than ever. Next month we will launch the Premier Skills website which will give millions of learners and teachers around the world an opportunity to improve their English and learn more about their favourite Premier League teams and players.
"Using new approaches to English learning and providing the latest and most dynamic learning, teaching and practice materials is central to our work in Korea."
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