Ministry of Education Delays School Attendance by One Week... "Difficult to Control Seoul Itaewon-Originated Infections"

Postponed by one week from the 13th to the 20th
Other grades' in-person classes also delayed

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo: "Local infection severity high"
Only 44% of epidemiological investigations completed, risk ↑

Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye is speaking at the Social Relations Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 11th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The start dates for in-person classes at kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide will be postponed by one week each.

On the 11th, the Ministry of Education held a briefing at the Government Sejong Complex and announced that the start date for in-person classes for 12th-grade high school students will be postponed from the 13th to the 20th, a delay of one week. The schedules for other grades will also be postponed by one week. Attendance for 11th graders, 9th graders, 1st to 2nd graders, and kindergarteners will be delayed until the 27th, while 10th graders, 8th graders, and 3rd to 4th graders will start on June 3rd. Finally, 7th graders and 5th to 6th graders will begin attending school on June 8th.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated, "The recent spread of infections in Itaewon has unclear transmission routes and severe community spread, which is different from the situation on May 4th when in-person classes were scheduled to start. To protect both student safety and learning rights, the Ministry of Education and quarantine authorities will continue to closely coordinate and listen to opinions from the school field."

As of now, a total of 86 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported related to Itaewon in Seoul. Among them, 63 were infected after visiting Itaewon clubs, and 23 were secondary contacts such as family, acquaintances, and colleagues. Additionally, during the holiday period, out of 5,517 visitors to the clubs identified by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, only 44% have undergone epidemiological investigations, raising concerns about the possibility of controlling the infectious disease.

The Ministry of Education plans to respond promptly to any changes based on future epidemiological investigation results. Deputy Minister of Education Park Baek-beom said, "From April 24th to May 6th, anyone who visited entertainment establishments (clubs, pubs, etc.) in Itaewon or school members whose movement paths overlapped with confirmed cases should visit the nearest screening clinic for diagnostic testing regardless of symptoms. If anyone conceals their visit or contact history and refuses testing, thereby hindering quarantine efforts, strict measures will be taken in consultation with relevant authorities according to applicable laws."

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