The number of closed schools is increasing across the country due to a low birth rate and population concentration in metropolitan areas. (Image courtesy of Yonhap News)
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – The number of closed schools is increasing across the country due to a low birth rate and population concentration in metropolitan areas. However, one out of four closed schools remains abandoned without being repurposed.
According to data on the current trend of closed school assets compiled by city and provincial education offices nationwide, received by Do Jong-hwan, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, from the Ministry of Education, the number of closed schools owned by the Ministry of Education stood at 1,335, excluding those that have already been sold.
Out of these, 358 were classified as unused closed schools, making up 26.8 percent of the total. In other words, one out of four closed schools remains idle without being repurposed.
By region, South Jeolla Province had the highest number of closed schools at 83, followed by South Gyeongsang Province with 75, Gangwon Province with 55, and North Gyeongsang Province with 54.
Among the nation’s 17 major cities and provinces, only three jurisdictions, namely Daegu, Gwangju and Sejong, had no closed schools.
Regarding the ratio of unused closed schools, 45.9 percent of those in South Jeolla Province remained idle, while South Gyeongsang Province and South Chungcheong Province had ratios of 33.3 percent and 32.7 percent, respectively, higher than the national average. Seoul had three closed schools, all of which remained unused.
The value of these unused closed schools amounted to 368.1 billion won based on publicly disclosed land prices.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
