Gyeongbuk Office of Education to Close 23 Schools and Open 8 New Ones Next Year... Final Approval by Provincial Council

by Gu Daeseon

Published 11 Dec.2025 11:42(KST)

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jong-sik) announced that the partial amendment to the 'Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial School Establishment Ordinance' was finally passed at the plenary session of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council held on December 10.

This ordinance amendment is significant in that it strengthens the institutional foundation for proactively responding to changes in the region's educational conditions and reorganizing the school system to better suit local characteristics.

Gyeongbuk Office of Education

The main points of this amendment include: the establishment of new schools to address overcrowding and meet educational demand in newly developed areas; mergers and reorganization of schools and branch schools in line with the 2025 initiative to foster appropriately sized schools; and the need to change school names to reflect diversification of curricula and specialization of schools for nurturing future national talent. Through these measures, the aim is to create a stable, student-centered educational environment in response to the changing educational landscape.

As a result of the ordinance amendment, a total of 41 schools in the province will be reorganized starting from March 2026. The main details are as follows: 8 new schools (including 2 affiliated kindergartens, 3 elementary schools, and 3 middle schools); 23 school closures (including 5 affiliated kindergartens, 13 elementary schools, and 5 middle schools); reorganization of 4 branch schools (3 elementary, 1 middle); 2 schools to be newly established as replacements (1 affiliated kindergarten, 1 elementary school); and 4 school name changes (all high schools).

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education believes that this amendment will not only help alleviate overcrowded classes, but also serve as an opportunity to establish a flexible school placement system that can respond to the increasing number of students in new urban areas. In addition, it is considered an important achievement that a foundation has been secured for systematically restructuring small schools in response to the declining school-age population in rural, fishing, and farming communities.

Furthermore, with the establishment of conditions that allow for the detailed reflection of regional educational demand and school-specific characteristics, the office expects to respond more flexibly and proactively to the changing future educational environment.

Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of the Gyeongbuk Office of Education, stated, "Educational opportunities must be guaranteed equally for students regardless of where they live," and added, "We will create a stable and future-oriented educational environment by comprehensively considering the appropriateness of school placement, commuting safety, and the quality of educational services."