New elementary school enrolment in Seoul drops by 9.3%

[Anchor]

The effects of low birth rates continue to be felt.

The number of students entering elementary schools in Seoul this year has decreased by nearly 10% compared to last year, marking the lowest level ever recorded.

There are over 150 elementary schools nationwide that had no new students last year.

This is Lee Soo-min reporting.

[Report]

This is their first time entering an elementary school classroom.

The environment is fascinatingly different from that of kindergarten.

["Then mom, what is this? (These are gonggi.)"]

With the entrance in March approaching, there is great anticipation about what school life will be like.

[Lee Jin-ah & Kim Ji-yu/Seocho-gu, Seoul: "Do you want to make a lot of friends? (Yes. But I hope the teacher is a good teacher, too.)"]

This year, 164 children will enter this elementary school, divided into 7 classes.

There are just over 20 students in each class.

[Jung Sung-jun/Vice Principal of Wonmyeong Elementary School, Seoul: "Compared to 2022 and 2023, there has been a decrease of about 20 students."]

The total number of students eligible to enter elementary schools in all areas of Seoul this year is about 53,000.

This is a decrease of 9.3% from last year, the lowest ever recorded.

The situation in rural areas is even more serious.

There are 157 elementary schools nationwide that had no students scheduled to enroll last year, with 34 in Jeonbuk Province and 27 in Gyeongbuk Province, most of which are outside the capital region.

The number of kindergartens closing due to not meeting enrollment quotas is also increasing.

[Oh Bok-hwan/Vice Principal of Shinjeong Elementary School's affiliated kindergarten in Ulsan: "It feels like it's sharply declining. It's not gradual; it feels like it's falling at a very steep angle."]

Children born in 2020, who fell to 200,000 for the first time due to COVID-19, will enter elementary school two years later.

Concerns are growing that the number of elementary schools closing will increase not only in rural areas but also in urban areas of Seoul.

This is KBS News, Lee Soo-min.