SOURCE: 서울 초등학교도 '입학생 0명' 쇼크
Elementary school A in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is surrounded by apartment complexes with more than 1,000 households, a department store, and a park. There is a middle school next door with around 600 students. There is also a high school nearby that is only 10 minutes walk away. Yet, elementary school A will begin the new school year this March with no new 1st grade students. Originally, 5 students were supposed to enroll to this school. However, they either moved overseas or chose different schools. Officials say there is no chance that any new students will enroll before the school year begins. An official from Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education explained, "Parents often choose other schools if there are only 1 or 2 children enroll in that grade in consideration of their children's school life."
As the school-age population in South Korea is declining rapidly, Seoul and Gwangju are expected to see elementary schools with 0 new students for the first time this year. According to data obtained from a member of National Assembly Education Committee, a total of 198 schools nationwide will have 0 new students this year. This is a 71% increase from 5 years ago in 2021 (116 schools). In addition, a total of 209 elementary schools nationwide will have only one 1st grade student. This is a 76% increase from 5 years ago.
According to the Ministry of Education, the estimated number of 1st graders entering elementary school in South Korea this year is 298,178. This is the first time the number of new elementary school students has fallen below 300,000.
◇Even a 100-year-old school that once had over 4,000 students now has 0 new students
The region with the largest number of elementary schools with 0 students this year was North Gyeongsang Province (38 schools), followed by South Jeolla Province (34 schools), North Jeolla Province (12 schols), and Gangwon and South Chungcheong Province (20 schools each). Meanwhile, the region with the largest number of elementary schools with only 1 new student this year was South Gyeongsang Province (38 schools), followed by North Jeolla Province (35 schools), South Jeolla Province (33 schools), and North Gyeongsang Province (29 schools).
This year marks the first time that elementary schools with no new students will appear in Seoul (1 school) and Gwangju (2 schools). In Seoul, there had been 4-5 school each year from 2021 to 2025 with 0 students, but it was because the schools temporary closed for construction. An official from Seoul Office of Education stated, "This is the first time that a normally operating elementary school in Seoul has had 0 new students."
In Gwangju, 2 schools with histories over 100 years will have 0 new students this year. Gwangju Jungang Elementary School once had more than 4,000 students, but last year they only had 1 first grader. To attract new students, the school even used its own budget to provide school supplies worth about 300,000 KRW per student and offered unique classes such as learning traditional instruments and village tours while wearing hanbok. Despite these efforts, the school still failed to find any new student this year. Meanwhile Samdo Elementary School had 10 new students last year, so it was unexpected for them to have 0 new students this year. An official from Gwangju Office of Education stated, "While this is a nationwide phenomenon, we were still surprised to see schools in Gwangju having 0 new students. It's time to discuss consolidating and merging small schools now."
In Busan, a city with population over 3 million, elementary schools with 0 new students have appeared consistently over the past 5 years. From 2021 to 2023, there was just 1 school each year. However, the number increased to 2 in 2024 and jumped to 5 in 2025. This year, 2 schools are expected to have 0 new students. An official from Busan Office of Education stated, "Both schools are located in areas where school-age population has declined significantly. Therefore, this situation is inevitable."
Even with local communities stepping up to avoid school closures, getting new students remains difficult. For example, Gwangmyeong Elementary School, the only school in the island, offered 3 million KRW to any student who enrolled or transferred. The school also offered yacht lessons and online English classes with native speakers. Last year, the school managed in getting 2 first graders. However, this year not a single student signed up. A school official stated, "We tried out best, but there are simply no children left to come to school. Once the 6th graders graduate, the total number of students will be just 12. It's heartbreaking how we won't even be able to hold an entrance ceremony."
In North Gyeongsang Province, a school called Jungsan Elementary has 14 students who are senior citizens aged 60 to 90. However, due to the impact of low birth rate, the number of school-age population declined. This leaves the school with only 8 students last year, fewer than the number of faculty and staff. As a result, the school has been operating as a branch school since this year. Talks about turning this school into a smaller branch started in 2024. However, senior students and local residents strongly opposed it and even reported the local education office to the police last month. They argued, "If the school becomes a branch, it will eventually lead to closure. If we count the senior students, we have more students than teacher. Therefore, the decision to convert this school into a branch school should be taken back." They expressed concern that if the school closed, the senior students will no longer be able to continue their studies. The North Gyeongsang Office of Education responded, "As the school-age population continues to decline, conversion to branch schools will inevitably increase. However, we can't count the senior students as this could be used as an excuse to stop conversion to branch schools or school consolidations. Therefore, it is difficult to accept this request."
