Except for 3rd-year high school students, full remote classes start today for all kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high schools in the Seoul metropolitan area

Suspension of In-Person Classes at Over 7,800 Schools in the Capital Area
Remote Classes Implemented Equivalent to Level 3 Situation

Yoo Eun-hye: "We Must Curb the Spread This Week to Protect Schools"
One-Third of Students Attend In-Person Classes in Non-Capital Regions for Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and High Schools

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye is announcing the transition to remote classes for kindergartens, elementary, middle, high, and special schools located in the metropolitan area at the briefing room of the Government Seoul Office Main Building on the 25th. From left: Jo Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education; Do Seong-hoon, Superintendent of Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education; Lee Jae-jung, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education; Deputy Prime Minister Yoo. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Kindergartens, elementary, middle, high schools, and special schools in the Seoul metropolitan area will switch to full remote classes starting from the 26th.

According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 7,826 institutions, including 7,749 kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools, and 77 special schools in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, will suspend in-person attendance and implement remote classes until the 11th of next month.

Due to the resurgence of COVID-19, although social distancing is at level 2, the metropolitan area will adopt full remote classes as if it were level 3.

According to data released by the Ministry of Education, from May 20, when phased in-person classes began, until July 30, over a period of more than two months, 32 students and 10 staff members in the metropolitan area tested positive for COVID-19. However, in the two weeks from the 11th to the 24th, when cluster infections began in the metropolitan area, 150 students and 43 staff members tested positive.

However, 12th-grade high school students who require face-to-face guidance for career and college entrance issues are excluded. The deadline for early admission student records is approaching in three weeks, and the College Scholastic Ability Test is 99 days away.

Under social distancing level 2, non-metropolitan areas will maintain a density of one-third for kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools, and two-thirds for high schools.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye said at an emergency press conference with metropolitan area superintendents at the Seoul Government Complex the day before, "This measure is not a level 3 action but the strongest possible under level 2," adding, "We must definitely curb the spread this week to protect schools."

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