133 Elementary School Students Absent from Preliminary Assembly This Year... Police Confirm Location

Status of 58 People Unconfirmed

Park Wan-su, member of the People Power Party./Provided by the member's office

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police have begun verifying the whereabouts of children who did not attend the preliminary gathering for new elementary school students for the 2021 academic year.

On the 26th, according to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Park Wan-soo, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the People Power Party, 133 children nationwide who were scheduled to enter elementary school but did not attend the preliminary gathering were reported to the police for investigation on the grounds that their whereabouts were "unconfirmed."

By region, Gyeonggi Nambu had the highest number with 28 children, followed by Incheon with 19, Chungnam with 16, Jeonbuk with 12, Busan with 9, and Seoul with 7.

The police confirmed that among them, 75 children missed the preliminary gathering due to reasons such as deferred school enrollment, overseas departure, enrollment in unauthorized alternative schools, or homeschooling.

Investigations into the safety of the remaining 58 children are ongoing. Of these 58, 40 are believed to be overseas and 18 are in the country, but their exact status has not yet been confirmed.

Assemblyman Park emphasized, "The police and educational authorities must take a more proactive role in confirming and protecting the safety of children," adding, "Even if their whereabouts are confirmed, special attention should be given to children who miss preliminary gatherings or entrance ceremonies."

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