Abandoned schools nationwide

[Anchor]

You can see the green chalkboard on the wall.

This was once an elementary school filled with children's dreams and hopes.

However, due to the low birth rate, it has turned into an eyesore that looks like it belongs in a horror movie.

There are over 360 such abandoned schools across the country, and we cannot leave them as they are.

We will examine the situation and possible solutions.

Kim Seong-su reports.

[Report]

This elementary school in Seoul closed its doors two years ago.

One side of the playground is used as a temporary parking lot, while the rest of the facilities have essentially been abandoned.

Plans to build a youth welfare facility have stalled due to issues with securing around 40 billion won in funding, turning the abandoned school into a headache.

[Shin Eun-hee/Seoul Gwangjin-gu: "It's been a few years since it closed. I hope a large facility comes in so that many people can come and go."]

The decline in school-age population in rural areas is even more serious.

This school, which closed 25 years ago, has been left with broken windows, and the classroom walls are covered in mold.

The alumni association attempted to purchase the property, but it was unsuccessful due to the education office's policy at the time not to sell to private individuals.

[Jeong Il-nam/Alumnus: "I submitted plans several times to either lease it or do something with it. If you look at the school, the building now needs to be completely demolished for safety reasons..."]

Among the nearly 3,900 abandoned schools nationwide, about 10% are left unused and neglected like an eyesore.

An additional 70 schools are set to close by next year.

The government has created and distributed separate guidelines for local governments to utilize abandoned schools for various public projects, but it is not enough to keep up with the speed at which schools are closing.

[Yang Jeong-ho/Professor of Education, Sungkyunkwan University: "There is no continuity, so how can that (the measures) be possible? It is necessary to create an asset management organization that supports or manages abandoned schools across the country based on planned experience."]

Examples of successful local development of abandoned schools include a hanji (Korean paper) experience center created using the local bamboo in Buan, Jeollabuk-do, and a brewery established in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

This is Kim Seong-su from KBS News.