Government: "Over 99% of Schools Nationwide Ready for In-Person Classes with Safety Measures" (Update)

COVID-19 Disaster and Safety Headquarters Conducts Comprehensive Inspection of Over 20,000 Kindergartens and Elementary to High Schools
Facility Disinfection, Desk Rearrangement, Adjustment of School Hours, and Simulation Drills Prepared
Step-by-Step Implementation Plan to Be Established and Applied Starting Two Weeks Before School Reopening

On the 20th, marking the end of the third phase of online school openings for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade elementary students, Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, attended the opening ceremony at Seoul Agricultural School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, delivering a congratulatory speech. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The government has confirmed that most frontline schools have completed basic preparations following the establishment of quarantine guidelines for students and staff last month, about a month ago. As the reopening of schools has been delayed due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the government plans to create a separate plan to be applied starting two weeks before the reopening date is set.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 24th, a full survey of 20,445 frontline schools, including kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools, showed that over 99% have completed basic preparations. Previously, on the 24th of last month, the government distributed school quarantine preparation guidelines to all schools. Following these guidelines, each school level has established response systems, created quarantine environments, and prepared adjustments to educational activities.

Kim Kang-lip, the First Chief Coordinator, stated at a briefing that "in preparation for the transition from social distancing to everyday quarantine, basic preparations such as special disinfection of school facilities, rearrangement of classroom desks, readiness for temperature checks upon school entry, and differentiated class schedules have been completed." He added, "In addition, hand sanitizers and health masks for use after school reopening have been stockpiled, and simulation drills have been conducted regionally to prepare for potential cases."

On the 16th, when upper-grade elementary and middle and high school 1st and 2nd graders had their second online school opening, a student using the care classroom at Yongsan Elementary School in Seoul is participating in the online opening ceremony. Photo by Honam Moon munonam@

Differentiation of class schedules will be decided according to the circumstances of each frontline school. This involves adjusting class or meal times by grade or class. Cho Myung-yeon, Director of Student Health Policy at the Ministry of Education, explained, "Since each school’s situation is different, the intention is to prevent all students from arriving or leaving school at the same time by staggering times slightly. Rather than clearly dividing into morning and afternoon shifts, most schools will make minor adjustments to avoid overlapping arrival and departure times."

The government plans to implement supplementary measures for any insufficient areas and, once the school reopening date is confirmed, to establish a phased implementation plan starting two weeks before reopening and continuing afterward. Furthermore, the government will conduct weekly comprehensive inspections of school preparedness to make improvements. These measures aim to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within schools after reopening.

Chief Coordinator Kim stated, "We are aware of the significant risk of cluster infections through schools," but added, "If school reopening proceeds, we will continue to discuss necessary quarantine measures and conduct on-site inspections."

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