Nearly 650 Kindergartens and Schools Nationwide Closed... Doubled in Five Days

Additional Closure Orders from the 10th to 19th for 32 Locations in Songpa, Gangnam, Yangcheon, and Yeongdeungpo Districts

On the 6th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education issued a closure order for 42 kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools in Jungnang-gu and Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, where confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection had visited. A school official is closing the entrance door at Samseon Middle School in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), nearly 650 schools nationwide have closed temporarily. With additional closure orders being issued by education authorities in Seoul and many schools deciding on discretionary closures on their own, the number of closed schools is expected to surge for the time being.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 7th, as of 10 a.m. that day, a total of 647 schools nationwide were closed, including 459 kindergartens, 106 elementary schools, 33 middle schools, 44 high schools, and 5 special schools.

The number of closed schools was 336 on the 3rd, 372 on the 4th and 5th, and 592 on the 6th. This means that in just five days since the Ministry of Education began compiling nationwide data, the number nearly doubled from 336 to 647.

On that day, 98 schools in Seoul were closed, an increase of 41 from the previous day. Some schools in Songpa-gu and Gangdong-gu, identified as areas where confirmed cases reside or have been present, were closed urgently.

Gyeonggi Province had the highest number of closures with 236 kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools closed. Additionally, 159 schools in Gwangju, 135 in Jeonbuk, 12 in Incheon, 5 in Chungnam, and one each in Busan and Chungbuk were closed.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education ordered localized additional closures from the 10th to the 19th for 32 kindergartens and schools located in Songpa, Gangnam, Yangcheon, and Yeongdeungpo districts. Some schools are deciding on discretionary closures or moving up the closing ceremony for the 2019 academic year by a few days based on decisions by school principals and school operation committees, so the total number of closed schools is expected to increase further.

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