[Extinction]⑩Schools at Risk of Closure Without Children's Laughter... Residents Sigh as Communities Face Disappearance

13.4% of Seoul's Elementary, Middle, and High Schools at Risk of Closure
Residents Say, "Poor Transportation Will Further Reduce Young Population"
Urgent Need for Inter-Ministerial Measures on School Closures

Editor's Note"It takes a village to raise a child." This is a famous Nigerian proverb. However, the reverse structure of the sentence is also true: to sustain a village, children are needed. This is the reality facing many villages in Korea today. Villages that do not raise children are paying the price. As people disappear, these areas become neglected, dark, and fall into silence. We aim to examine firsthand how abandoned schools are affecting their local communities.

On the 28th, in front of Gaehwa Elementary School in Banghwa-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, there were more cars than people. The cars were heading to Gimpo Airport, which is five minutes away from Gaehwa Elementary. Although there are students at the school, the laughter and chatter of children could hardly be heard. As of last year, Gaehwa Elementary had a total of 78 students, the lowest number among all elementary schools in Seoul.

Jeong Mo (70, male) has witnessed the rise and fall of this area while running a restaurant near Gaehwa Elementary for 20 years. Five years ago, he put his restaurant up for sale to leave the neighborhood, but it has not sold. The taekwondo gym directly above the restaurant once used to be crowded with students, but now fewer than 20 attend. He said, "Compared to previous sales, business has dropped to one-fifth of what it used to be. I can't even maintain the status quo. As the number of students keeps decreasing, this village will also disappear, but I don't know what to do."

On the 28th, I visited Gaehwa Elementary School in Banghwa-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Unlike other elementary schools where the laughter of students can be heard, it was quiet. Photo by Byungseon Gong

As the number of students declines and the population decreases, nearby residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the possibility of school closures. If a school is officially closed, the area is likely to decline further, making it virtually impossible for local merchants to continue their economic activities. There are growing calls for comprehensive, cross-ministerial measures to address the crisis facing schools at risk of closure.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's school statistics for the second half of last year, a total of 176 schools are classified as small-scale: 72 elementary schools, 76 middle schools, and 28 high schools. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education classifies schools as small-scale if they have 240 or fewer students for elementary schools, or 300 or fewer students for middle and high schools. Excluding schools that are temporarily closed, 13.4% of the 1,310 elementary, middle, and high schools in Seoul are at risk of closure. The education authorities consider elementary schools with 240 or fewer students, and middle and high schools with 300 or fewer students, as candidates for consolidation or closure within urban areas.

The main reason for the increasing number of schools at risk of closure is the decline in the school-age population (ages 6 to 21). The school-age population, which was 2.34 million in 2000, fell to 1.83 million in 2010, and to 1.265 million in 2020. The number of students is expected to decrease even further in the future. According to Statistics Korea, the population aged 5 to 19, which is about 6.31 million this year, will decrease to 5.26 million by 2030. By 2040, it is projected to fall to 3.77 million, then 3.96 million in 2050, and 3.38 million in 2060, remaining below the 4 million mark.

It is expected that even more schools in Seoul will close in the future. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's "2025-2029 Elementary School Placement Plan," the number of small-scale elementary schools will increase by 55, reaching 127 by 2029 compared to the second half of last year. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "Due to the continued low birth rate, we expect a decrease of about 15,000 to 19,000 students each year," and added, "Accordingly, the number of elementary school classes is also expected to decrease by more than 500 classes annually."

Gyeongseo Middle School, located in Gayang-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is scheduled for closure in 2027 and has not accepted any new students since the first semester of this year. It will become the seventh school in Seoul to close, following Gongjin Middle School, Yeomgang Elementary School, Hwayang Elementary School, Deoksu High School, Seongsu High School, and Dobong High School. Last year, Gyeongseo Middle only had 27 new students. An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said, "We have not yet established a plan for how to utilize the Gyeongseo Middle School site after closure," and added, "We are currently reviewing possible uses."

On the 28th, restaurants and a taekwondo gym near Gaehwa Elementary School in Banghwa-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul were visited. Currently, there are no customers, and business is not operating. Jeong Mo (70, male), who runs a restaurant, said that he put the store up for sale five years ago to close the business, but it has not been sold. Photo by Gong Byungseon

Residents living near schools facing closure expressed their anxiety. This is because not only the schools, but the villages themselves may disappear.

Lee Jaeseop (73, male) lamented that the rapidly developed area near Gaehwa Elementary now faces only the prospect of extinction. He said, "In the past, all this land was rice paddies and fields, but now Gangseo-gu has become one of the most populous areas in Seoul. However, as young people have moved out to Magok District, only elderly people are left here. The transportation is poor, so the number of young people will decrease even further." He added, "I hear that even in Magok District, the number of students enrolling is decreasing. It seems that only depopulation is left for this area."

Experts pointed out that the government must prepare measures to address the increasing number of school closures. Yang Jeongho, a professor of education at Sungkyunkwan University, said, "The proliferation of school closures is a fully predictable situation, but the education authorities' policies are focused only on the present. This issue can only be resolved if not only the education authorities, but also related ministries such as welfare and culture, all participate to develop future-oriented solutions."