"Parents Are Not Allowed In" ... Graduation Ceremony Scene Changed by 'Novel Coronavirus'

Students Wearing Masks Watch Graduation Ceremony Broadcast in Classrooms Instead of Auditorium or Gym
Families Wait on Playground in Cold Weather... "It's a Once-in-a-Lifetime Event, So It's Regrettable"

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection, schools nationwide are reducing or canceling events such as graduation ceremonies. On the 5th, a notice advising parents to refrain from entering was posted at a high school in Gangnam, Seoul, where the graduation ceremony was held. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] "Of all days, the weather turned cold... I’m worried that waiting on the playground to avoid the novel coronavirus might end up giving me a cold or flu."

On the morning of the 5th, parents holding bouquets were waiting for their children’s graduation ceremony to end at the playground of Kyunggi High School in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. With the wind chill dropping to minus 17 degrees Celsius, the parents, heavily bundled in thick coats, showed grim expressions partially visible above their masks. Some parents waited inside their cars with the engine running or stood in small groups at the end of building corridors where they could avoid the wind.

At the same time, the third-year classrooms were holding a video graduation ceremony. A parent, Ms. Han, said, "We were informed yesterday that parents are not allowed to enter the classrooms or hallways. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime high school graduation, but the kids watching the broadcast in the classroom instead of the proper auditorium is really unfortunate." Another family accompanying Ms. Han grumbled, "Still, since it’s a graduation, we thought we should at least take one photo, so we’re waiting here."

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection, schools nationwide are reducing or canceling events such as graduation ceremonies. On the 5th, a small-scale graduation ceremony was held at a high school in Gangnam, Seoul. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

Nearby Huimun High School in Daechi-dong also prohibited parents from entering the building for the graduation ceremony that day. The auditorium, which would normally be packed with graduates and guests, was set up as a temporary waiting room for parents with only folding chairs scattered around.

Ms. Lee, a parent waiting for her child on the playground, said, "The weather is cold, and even though I was told my child didn’t need me to come, I took a day off to encourage my child who worked hard through 12 years of school life and safely completed the entrance exams. I hope this chaos ends safely so we can look back and say, ‘Remember when this happened at our graduation?’ as a memory."

Another parent joked, "I barely convinced my parents-in-law who live in the provinces not to come up for their grandson’s graduation, and they were a bit disappointed. Everyone was wearing masks tightly, so I couldn’t even recognize the faces of my child’s friends’ moms and just passed by."

The 450 or so graduates from 13 classes at this school performed the national ceremony and sang the national anthem in their respective classrooms, listened to the principal’s congratulatory speech, and concluded the official event with the school anthem. Both the homeroom teachers handing out diplomas and various school awards and the students receiving them were all wearing white masks.

Students gathered in small groups giggled happily, sometimes pulling their masks up just below their eyes, revealing only their eyes as they took group photos.

Principal Lee Jong-cheol of Huimun High School said, "Every year, there was an event where underclassmen sang farewell songs and graduates responded with reply songs, but even though we prepared for it this year, we couldn’t hold it. I’ve been at this school for 30 years, but this is the first time something like this has happened."

Due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), high school graduation ceremonies in Seoul have been drastically scaled down. Especially, many schools in the Gangnam area, which were part of the initial confirmed patients’ movement paths, held graduation ceremonies in classrooms instead of auditoriums or gymnasiums. Nearby schools such as Kyunggi Girls’ High School, Dandae High School, Sehwa Girls’ High School, Jinseon Girls’ High School, and Cheongdam High School are holding graduation ceremonies this week, with schools advising parents to attend in minimal numbers and only allowing photo sessions on the playground.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.