Ministry of Education and National Police Agency Request Local Police Investigation for Overseas Residents
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] It has been confirmed that 52 children nationwide, who are about to enter elementary school next month, have not attended the preliminary gathering and their whereabouts and safety remain unknown. The government plans to thoroughly investigate these cases as missing children.
The Ministry of Education and the National Police Agency announced on the 23rd that, in cooperation with education offices and local governments from the preliminary gathering stage, they have confirmed the whereabouts and safety of 452,454 out of 452,506 children eligible for school enrollment in the country, accounting for 99.99%.
Among them, 420,849 children (93.0%) were confirmed through preliminary gatherings conducted by schools at various levels, and an additional 31,605 children (6.98%) were confirmed through subsequent procedures after the preliminary gatherings.
For the 52 children whose status has not yet been confirmed, relevant agencies will work closely together to verify their whereabouts until the end.
An official from the Ministry of Education explained, "For children who did not attend the preliminary gathering, we contacted them by phone to request a school visit, and conducted checks through the administrative information joint use network, including resident registration data, immigration records, and home visits. Nevertheless, for children whose status was difficult to confirm at the school or local government level, we immediately requested investigations from the local police stations."
The National Police Agency is mobilizing all resources, including 3,466 members of the Women and Youth Investigation Teams across 255 police stations nationwide and 561 Child Abuse Prevention Officers, to verify the whereabouts and safety of children eligible for school enrollment as requested by the respective school principals.
Among the children whose whereabouts are being confirmed, it has been found that most (90.4%), or 47 children, are currently residing overseas. The Ministry of Education has collaborated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request investigations by local police authorities.
Seol Se-hoon, Director of the Education Welfare Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Education, said, "We appreciate the schools and related agencies for their efforts to confirm the whereabouts and safety of children eligible for school enrollment from the preliminary gathering stage. We will continue to work closely with the National Police Agency and metropolitan and provincial education offices to ensure the whereabouts and safety of these children are fully confirmed."
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