New Elementary School to Open in Gwangju for the First Time in 7 Years

Cham Mireu Elementary School and Unsu Elementary School to Open on March 1

Bird's-eye view of Cham Mireu Elementary School

Amid a continued decline in the school-age population due to factors such as the low birth rate, a new elementary school will open in Gwangju for the first time in seven years.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education announced on February 16 that Cham Mireu Elementary School and Unsu Elementary School will open on March 1. These are the first elementary schools to open since Bit Yeo-ul Elementary School in 2019, and the first to open in the 2020s.

Cham Mireu Elementary School, which is being built in Yongdu-dong in Buk-gu, was newly planned due to an increase in the school-age population following the move-in to apartment complexes in the Yongdu-dong and Sinyong-dong areas.

The school will have a total of 28 elementary classes, consisting of 27 general classes and 1 special class. The attached kindergarten will have 4 classes in total, consisting of 3 general classes and 1 special class. The number of elementary students will be 525 in total, including 136 first graders.

The city office of education expects that once all grades are fully formed, the school will be able to accommodate up to 37 classes (36 general and 1 special) and 957 students.

With the opening of Cham Mireu Elementary School, overcrowding at Yongdu Elementary School and Bonchon Elementary School, which have had difficulties in school operations, is expected to be partially eased. At Yongdu Elementary School, for example, the number of students per class in the 4th and 5th grades for the 2025 academic year reached 25.1 and 26.1, respectively, showing a marked overcrowding problem.

The Seonun District is also expected to get some relief as Unsu Elementary School opens on March 1. Unsu Elementary School, located in Unsu-dong in Gwangsan-gu, will operate with a total of 13 classes, consisting of 12 general classes and 1 special class. The number of students will be 202 in total, including 55 first graders. Once all grades are fully formed, the school will expand to a total of 31 classes, consisting of 30 general classes and 1 special class, and will be able to accommodate up to 583 students.

The Seonun District has been one of the most severely overcrowded areas in Gwangju due to a shortage of schools. At Seonun Elementary School, where students living in the Seonun District are assigned, the average number of students per class for the 2025 academic year reached 24.4.

With the opening of Unsu Elementary School, it has become possible not only to accommodate residents of apartment complexes in the Seonun 2 District, where move-ins began in 2024, but also to partially ease overcrowding at Seonun Elementary School. In fact, the average number of students per class at Seonun Elementary School for the 2026 academic year decreased by 2.4 from the previous year to 22.0.

Before the new schools open, the city office of education plans to inspect construction progress and ensure safe commuting conditions for students.

Superintendent Lee Jeongseon said, "I hope that with the opening of Cham Mireu Elementary School and Unsu Elementary School, the quality of education in Buk-gu and Gwangsan-gu will improve and students' right to learn will be better protected," adding, "We will make thorough preparations so that these schools can satisfy both students and parents."

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