VIRUS AFFECTS GRADUATIONS AND START OF TERM

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The COVID-19 epidemic has forced schools around the nation to cancel graduation ceremonies and postpone the start of a new school term. Some colleges are holding online commencement ceremonies. Here is a look at how the virus has changed Korea's school life.

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[Soundbite] "I sincerely congratulate the graduating class."

A family, watching a graduation commencement speech through a laptop screen. Yang Hee-seok, who is graduating from Korea National Open University this year, had to watch the commencement ceremony at his graduation from home. The university aired the event live online to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although he is glad to graduate, Mr. Yang is a little disappointed with the online ceremony.

[Soundbite] YANG HEE-SEOK(GRADUATE OF KNOU) : "I wanted my children to see me with the mortarboard and put the cap on their heads too. It's disappointing that they couldn't see it in person because the ceremony was aired on YouTube."

Other students also attended the ceremony via internet from their respective homes. Only the production crew, school officials, and a few graduates were there to participate in the live broadcast. They all had their temperatures checked beforehand and were wearing face masks.

[Soundbite] HAM SEOK-DONG(KOREA NATIONAL OPEN UNIV.) : "Graduation has been a big annual ceremony, but we cancelled the offline event and instead aired it online through KNOU TV and YouTube."

Professors are busy preparing for the start of a new school term next month. They're recording video lectures to replace classes. Sungkyunkwan University delayed the new semester for a week and replaced all classes for the first two weeks with online lectures. Nine out of ten universities in Seoul have made such postponements. The epidemic has changed customs and the way colleges operate this season.