South Korea is witnessing a wave of school closures as the country grapples with plummeting birth rates. According to recent reports, 49 elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide will permanently shut their doors this year.
Even more alarming, over 180 elementary schools will not hold entrance ceremonies due to a complete lack of new students.
📢 Key Statistics:
✅ 49 schools closing nationwide in 2024
✅ 38 elementary, 8 middle, and 3 high schools shutting down
✅ Zero new students at 180+ elementary schools
🏫 The Reality of School Closures in Korea
A primary school in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, with an 80-year history will close next month after having just two students enrolled last year. These students will now have to transfer to another school.
📊 Rising School Closures in Korea:
- 2020: 33 schools closed
- 2023: 33 schools closed
- 2024: 49 schools to shut down
🔹 Regional Impact:
- Jeollanam-do (10 schools) faces the most closures.
- Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollabuk-do, and Gangwon-do follow closely behind.
- Even in Gyeonggi-do, where population growth is stable, six schools will close.
- Seoul is the only region with no planned school closures this year.
Meanwhile, the number of elementary schools with zero first-grade students surged from 112 in 2023 to over 180 in 2024, with Gyeongsangbuk-do, Jeollanam-do, and Jeollabuk-do experiencing the most severe impacts.
⚠️ The Bigger Issue: Regional Decline & Economic Impact
Experts warn that school closures accelerate regional decline, leading to economic downturns as families leave for better educational opportunities.
📢 Professor Song Ki-Chang of Sookmyung Women’s University explains:
"When schools disappear, economic activity in the region also weakens, ultimately leading to population decline and regional extinction."
📉 In 2024, only 320,000 students are expected to enter elementary school—marking an all-time low in South Korea's history.
💡 What This Means:
- A school without first graders today could face closure within six years.
- Over 360 abandoned schools nationwide now stand empty, raising concerns over their future use.
🔍 Why Is This Happening?
South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with a total fertility rate of just 0.72 in 2023.
As fewer children are born, entire school systems are collapsing, particularly in rural areas.
Without intervention, this crisis will continue to reshape Korea’s education system, economy, and demographics.
Source: KBS news
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