47 Abandoned Closed Schools in Gyeongbuk... Hwang Duyoung, Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly Member, Urges "Prepare Utilization Plans"

It has been revealed that there are 47 unused closed schools in the Gyeongbuk region, raising urgent calls for plans to utilize them.

Hwang Doo-young, a member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council (People Power Party, Gumi), stated on the 25th, “As of September 30, 2023, the number of closed schools managed by the Gyeongbuk Office of Education is a total of 712 schools. Among them, 485 schools have been sold, so the actual number of closed schools held is 227.”

By region, the count was 25 schools in Gyeongju, 20 in Pohang, 18 each in Gimcheon and Andong, and 17 in Yeongcheon.

Hwang Doo-young, Member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council.

The number of unused closed schools in Gyeongbuk was the fourth highest nationwide, following Jeonnam (83 schools), Gyeongnam (75 schools), and Gangwon (55 schools). When looking at the unused rate, 22% of the closed schools held in Gyeongbuk were left unused, which is lower than the national unused rate of 27%.

Gyeongbuk Provincial Council member Hwang Doo-young said, “Due to low birth rates and population concentration in the metropolitan area, the school-age population in non-metropolitan areas is decreasing, leading to an increasing trend in school closures. However, one out of five closed schools in the province is not being utilized for other facilities.” He added, “Unused closed schools are effectively abandoned and exposed to various risks and safety accidents, so urgent measures are needed.”

Hwang also revealed the future utilization plans for the 47 unused closed schools in the province: 14 for sale, 19 for lease, 7 for self-use, and 7 for preservation management. He emphasized, “If sales are difficult, active consideration at the level of the Office of Education and local governments is necessary to utilize them as local landmarks or cultural and leisure spaces for residents.”

Hwang mentioned, “The ‘Cat School’ in Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, ‘Onggojip Ssambap’ in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, and the ‘Korean Language Education Center’ in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, are representative cases where closed schools have been transformed and attracted people.” He added, “In the past, closed schools were often used as museums or educational facilities, but recently, they have been utilized for various purposes such as pet cafes, glamping, and lodging facilities.” Citing Gimcheon Auto Camping Site, Pohang Sannuri Auto Camping Site, and Yeongdeok Auto Camping Site as examples, he said, “All of these are good cases of utilizing unused closed schools by converting them into auto camping sites.”

Council member Hwang Doo-young also noted, “South Korea’s total fertility rate is 0.78, the lowest among OECD countries.” He urged, “As the number of closed schools is likely to increase in the future, active utilization plans should be prepared to transform closed schools into residential spaces, tourist attractions, business spaces, and more, so that closed schools can once again become focal points of the community.”

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