A total of 49 schools across South Korea's 17 cities and provinces will close this year due to a declining school-age population, the *Korea Herald* reported Sunday.
Government data shows a sharp rise in closures, from 22 in 2023 to 33 in 2024. This year, 88% of the affected schools are in rural areas, according to the Education Ministry.
Seoul has no closures, while Gyeonggi Province has six. South Jeolla leads with 10, followed by South Chungcheong (9), North Jeolla (8), and Gangwon (7).
Among the 49 closures, 38 are elementary schools, eight are middle schools, and three are high schools. Rural elementary schools are particularly affected by low enrollment.
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