Preliminary Enrollment Completed at Elementary Schools Nationwide... Location of 44 Students Being Confirmed

279 Missing Persons, 235 Confirmed Through Police Investigation
43 of 44 Identified as Having Left the Country Abroad

On the afternoon of the 5th, new students accompanied by their parents are completing the enrollment procedures at the 2022 new student orientation held at Jangwol Elementary School in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education announced on the 27th that it has confirmed the whereabouts of 44 children after conducting preliminary elementary school enrollment checks nationwide for 55 days for the 2022 academic year.

The Ministry of Education, in cooperation with schools, education support offices, and local governments, confirmed the whereabouts of 428,972 children, accounting for 99.9% of the 429,251 children eligible for school enrollment, and requested police investigations for the 279 children whose whereabouts were not confirmed.

As of the 24th, the National Police Agency confirmed the whereabouts of 235 out of the 279 children under investigation and will continue investigations for the remaining 44.

Currently, 43 children are understood to have left the country, and the whereabouts of one child within the country are being confirmed. The police are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and requesting investigations from local police to verify their whereabouts.

This preliminary enrollment check was conducted using both in-person and non-face-to-face methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19, similar to last year. During the non-face-to-face preliminary enrollment, children's whereabouts and safety were confirmed through online preliminary enrollment and video calls.

For children who did not attend the preliminary enrollment, schools requested visits by phone, verified entry and exit records using the administrative information joint use network, and conducted home visits in cooperation with local governments. Schools will also conduct double checks such as attendance confirmation after the enrollment date.

Oh Seok-hwan, Director of the Education Welfare Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Education, said, "Preliminary enrollment is a precious first step to protect our children's right to learn," adding, "We will strive to confirm the whereabouts of all children eligible for school enrollment through organic cooperation with related agencies."

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