Expansion of Remote and Closed Schools Due to Typhoon Landfall... Parents of Students Attending In-Person Classes Feel 'Anxious'

Busan, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Ulsan, Jeonbuk, and Jeonnam switch to remote classes or close
Seoul suspends attendance for kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools, while Gyeonggi and Incheon leave it to principals' discretion
Parents anxious after receiving normal attendance guidance amid record typhoon
Ministry of Education delegates academic operation decisions to regions

On the 5th, as the 11th typhoon 'Hinnamnor' approaches, citizens are hurrying their steps near Boramae Park in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] As Typhoon Hinnamnor, the 11th typhoon of the season, approaches, schools in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions will simultaneously conduct remote classes or close on the 6th. In Seoul, kindergartens, elementary, and middle schools will suspend in-person classes for one day, but in Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, and the Chungcheong region, the decision is left to the discretion of school principals, resulting in varying attendance policies by region.

According to the Ministry of Education, on the 5th, the Daegu and Gyeongbuk Offices of Education recommended remote classes or school closures for all schools under their jurisdiction. Jeonbuk issued an official letter encouraging remote classes throughout the region. In Jeonnam, 522 schools (86%) will conduct remote classes, while 68 high schools (14.2%) will implement shortened classes.

Busan and Gyeongnam, which the typhoon will pass through, will conduct full remote classes. In Ulsan, 369 schools (87%) will close, and 57 schools (13.4%) will conduct remote classes. In Jeju, 278 schools (90%) will hold remote classes, 24 schools (7.7%) will close, and 8 schools (2.6%) will have shortened classes.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education operates differently by school level regarding closures and in-person classes. Kindergartens, elementary schools, and special schools will all close, and middle schools will suspend in-person classes. However, middle schools can choose between closure or remote classes at their discretion, and high schools will decide on in-person attendance at the principal’s discretion.

Except for Seoul, most education offices in the central region are allowing normal attendance without a full remote class decision. The education offices of Gyeonggi, Incheon, Daejeon, Gangwon, Chungnam, Chungbuk, and Sejong do not decide closures or remote classes at the office level but leave it to the discretion of school principals. In these regions, where academic operation adjustments are left to principals, even the status of remote classes has not been compiled.

Although Typhoon Hinnamnor is expected to cause significant damage due to its stronger intensity and wider strong wind radius compared to previous typhoons, attendance criteria vary by region and school, causing confusion among parents. Especially in the metropolitan area, unlike Seoul, which decided on a uniform closure, many schools in Gyeonggi Province have decided to hold normal classes.

Parents who received notices of normal attendance are feeling anxious. A parent of an elementary school student living in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, said, "Even if the typhoon passes by dawn, we have to wait all night for a notice in case the school closes early morning on the 6th," adding, "In dual-income families, adjusting schedules such as work attendance is inevitable, so we can only be anxious until dawn."

A Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education official said, "Gyeonggi Province is large, so we do not make a uniform decision. Except for Seoul, Incheon, Chungcheong, and Chungbuk also do not apply uniform policies like the southern regions but respond to academic operations at the discretion of school principals," adding, "More schools wanted to hold in-person classes, and we are continuously inspecting and preparing facilities."

The Ministry of Education has not made a nationwide decision to switch to remote classes but has delegated the decision to the provincial superintendents of education. Article 64 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act states that "the competent authority may order school closure if it recognizes that normal classes are impossible."

A Ministry of Education official explained, "Since the typhoon’s impact varies by region, decisions are made at the city/province or school principal level, and this method has been used in the past as well."

On the 4th, Deputy Minister of Education Jang Sang-yoon urged at a meeting with provincial deputy superintendents, "This will be an unprecedentedly powerful typhoon surpassing the strength of Typhoons Maemi and Chaba, which caused great damage in Korea," and requested, "When weather warnings are issued, please prioritize students’ safety through active academic operation adjustments such as closures, switching to remote classes, or shortened classes based on situation assessment meetings."

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