President Lee's Alma Mater Holds 'Final Class'... Closed After 67 Years Due to Lack of Students

Samgye Branch of Wolgok Elementary School Holds Final Class on July 25
No New Students Since 2021 Due to Declining School-Age Population

President Lee Jaemyung's alma mater will disappear into history after 67 years.

According to Yonhap News on July 26, the Samgye Branch of Wolgok Elementary School, located in Yaean-myeon, Andong-si, North Gyeongsang Province, will be officially closed as of September 1.

On the 25th, in the 6th-grade classroom of Samgye Branch at Wolgok Elementary School, Yean-myeon, Andong City, Gyeongbuk, 12-year-old Lee Ji and 42-year-old Jeon Jaejun are having their last class before the school closes. Photo by Yonhap News

The Samgye Branch of Wolgok Elementary School opened in 1954, was promoted to Samgye National School in 1957, and was integrated into the main school after September 1999. In 1976, the number of sixth-grade students exceeded 70, but a sharp decline in the school-age population in the surrounding area made it impossible to admit any new students after 2021, making closure inevitable.

On the morning of July 25, the school's only student, sixth grader Kim Iji (12), and her homeroom teacher Jeon Jaejun (42), held their last class. The lesson was an advanced social studies class on the characteristics of Korea's trade.

After the final class, Kim said, "It makes me sad to think that the school I've attended since first grade will soon disappear," and added, "As my friends left one by one, I was the only one left." However, she also expressed pride, saying, "I am proud that the president graduated from this school," and shared her determination to work even harder as a junior student.

Starting from the second semester, Kim will continue her studies at the main Wolgok Elementary School. The main school also has only six students in total.

Kim Iji is waving her hand toward the classroom on the last day of class. Photo by Yonhap News

In North Gyeongsang Province, a total of seven schools and kindergartens will be closed in September. These include the affiliated kindergarten at the Sangbuk Elementary School Changgu Branch in Mungyeong, the affiliated kindergarten at Danmil Elementary School in Uiseong, and the affiliated kindergarten at Yongam Elementary School in Seongju.

Recently, the sharp decline in the school-age population due to the low birth rate has put even schools with more than 100 years of history at risk. On July 4, Gwangju Dong-gu Jungang Elementary School drew attention for holding a "single-student entrance ceremony," as only one student enrolled.

According to data submitted by Jin Sunmi, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, to the Ministry of Education in February, a total of 49 elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide are scheduled to close this year. The number of closures was 33 in 2020, decreased to 24 in 2021, then 25 in 2022, and 22 in 2023, but surged again to 33 last year.