Gangwon Office of Education Holds 2026 Elementary School Preliminary Enrollment... Focusing on Locating 3 Non-Participating Children

92.3% Participation in Preliminary Enrollment at Elementary Schools in the Province
Three Children Did Not Attend Preliminary Enrollment, Says Provincial Office of Education

The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office of Education announced on January 9 that from January 2 to 6, a preliminary enrollment session for children eligible to start school in the 2026 academic year was conducted at 351 elementary schools across the province. Out of a total of 8,582 eligible children, 7,923 participated, resulting in a participation rate of 92.3%.

A view of Gangwon Provincial Office of Education.

The preliminary enrollment session is a procedure designed to confirm the whereabouts and safety of children eligible for school admission in advance. In principle, it was conducted by having the children and their guardians visit the school. However, in unavoidable circumstances, alternative methods such as individual visits or video calls were also used to ease the burden on guardians.

In particular, taking into account dual-income families, each school operated the preliminary enrollment session for at least two days and extended the operating hours up to 8 p.m. to enhance convenience for parents.

As of January 9, among the children who did not participate in this preliminary enrollment session, the whereabouts of three children (one each in Chuncheon, Wonju, and Pyeongchang) could not be immediately confirmed.

The provincial office of education is currently working in cooperation with local governments and the police to verify the whereabouts and safety of these children.

The provincial office of education and each school have annually confirmed the whereabouts of children who did not participate in the preliminary enrollment session through step-by-step measures such as phone calls, home visits, and requests for school visits. This year as well, they plan to thoroughly ensure children's safety by strengthening cooperation with relevant agencies, including requesting police investigations if necessary.

Kim Namhak, Director of Administration, stated, "The preliminary enrollment session is not just an administrative procedure but a very important process for confirming children's safety," adding, "We will take full responsibility to ensure that every eligible child can enter school safely."