SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – On a weekday afternoon at around 1:30 p.m., an eerie silence blankets the schoolyard of what was once Hwayang Elementary School in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Where children’s laughter once filled the air, now only the rustling of trees in the spring breeze and occasional birdsong break the stillness.
The human presence has shifted dramatically. Elderly residents with canes now walk the empty grounds for afternoon exercise. Near the school gate, what was once a playground filled with swings, seesaws and slides has transformed into a parking lot for neighborhood residents.
Hwayang Elementary closed its doors in February last year, as South Korea’s persistently low birth rates in the past decade resulted in a shortage of students. Having remained vacant for over a year, the school’s outdoor area is now a popular exercise spot for nearby residents.
Since 2015, Seoul has seen a total of nine schools close their doors due to a shortage of students.
One might think the nine school closures since 2015 in all of Seoul is not too bad. But Seoul officials and experts view it differently. They take it as the beginning of a much larger trend.
As a megacity with a population of over 10 million, Seoul is at the forefront of South Korea’s low birth rate crisis. Last year, the country’s total fertility rate remained at 0.75, less than half the OECD average of 1.51.
Forecasts predict a rapid increase in school closures in Seoul in the coming years due to the dwindling school-age population.
This March, which marked the start of the new school year in South Korea, an undisclosed elementary school in the capital’s Gangseo-gu received only 10 new students. That was three fewer than the previous year, with the total student population dropping to just 71, down sharply from 83 the year before, sources said.
A report released by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on March 24 projects that the number of small schools — those with fewer than 100 students and no more than five classes — will grow to 127 by 2029, a 1.6-fold increase from 80 this year.
Outside Seoul, the empty schools phenomenon is more pronounced.
Last year, 3,955 schools were shut down nationwide — 33 more closures compared to the year before. Of these, 367 schools, accounting for 9.3 percent of the total, have yet to be repurposed.
In rural areas, some abandoned school buildings have remained neglected for decades.
Chungil Girls’ High School in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon has remained defunct for almost two decades since its closure in 2005.
The school site was purchased by Booyoung Group for residential development at the time, but the project was suspended due to its close proximity — around 200 metres — to Daejeon Prison, which would have served as a deterrent for potential home buyers.
Despite years of neglect, the Daejeon city government and related agencies have been unable to take action, as the land is privately owned.
Some fear that the long-abandoned school site may accelerate urban decline in the district.
In Korea, schools owned by the state or local governments can only be sold or leased to public or private institutions for public purposes, such as education, social welfare, culture, public sports or support for returning farmers and foreign nationals who move to rural areas. It cannot be rented to ordinary for-profit businesses like cafes or lodgings.
Experts point to various regulatory obstacles as key factors behind the delay in utilising the sites.
Not all closed schools are left to decay. Some have started a new chapter with special educational missions.
Yeomgang Elementary, shuttered in March 2020, was left idle for a time before becoming the new home of Yeomyung School, the first state-accredited school for North Korean youth.
Opened in 2004 by members of churches and advocacy groups, the alternative school provides education to young people who resettled in the South after escaping the North with perilous journeys. Currently, 16 teachers are educating 84 students between the ages of 14 and 33.
Yeomyung School has been renting and using the first and second floors of the former Yeomgang Elementary building since August 2023. It’s the only known case in Seoul where a closed school has been transformed into an educational facility.
Yeomyung School’s principal, Cho Myung-sook, emphasised the value of school facilities, typically equipped with outdoor playgrounds and tracks, highlighting the importance of the physical environment in youth education during an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday. Previously, Yeomyung School was located in a small building in Myeong-dong, which was more like a private cram school, she said.
In rural areas, small schools are often more easily repurposed into cultural facilities like museums and artsy cafes.
The Ami Art Museum in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, used to be Yudong Elementary School. Opened in 2011, it now hosts seasonal exhibitions of paintings and installations in collaboration with emerging local artists.
Cafe Owal School, nestled in a mountain village in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, was formerly Gadeok Branch School, which closed in 1982. Now operating as a cafe, restaurant, and guesthouse, it has become a popular destination for those seeking wellness experiences.
