An elderly man is walking for exercise at Hwayang Elementary School in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, which was closed last February as the fourth school closure in Seoul. The school is located an 8-minute walk from Konkuk University Station, a transfer station between Seoul Subway Line 2 and Line 7. It is currently open as a resident-only parking lot and a community sports space. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Bang Misook (64), a resident of Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, recently placed her mother, whom she had cared for at home for five years, in a nursing home in Gyeonggi Province. "My mother developed dementia. I hear she often cries and refuses to eat at the nursing home, asking to be brought home," Bang said, wiping away tears. "It breaks my heart, but it's a 40-minute drive, so I can't visit often. Our local Hwayang Elementary School closed recently, and I heard that in Japan, it's common to build nursing homes on closed school sites."

Even seniors who have lived at home eventually have no choice but to enter a facility when they become frail enough to need diapers around the clock. Furthermore, if nursing facilities are located far from where seniors used to live, like isolated islands, family visits decrease and their loneliness grows. This is why the 'aging in place' approach, which utilizes closed urban schools as senior facilities, is gaining attention.

Fortunately, anticipating a sharp rise in school closures in Seoul due to declining birth rates, the Seoul Metropolitan Council has paved the way for senior welfare housing to be built on closed school sites. The amendment to the "Ordinance on the Management and Utilization of Closed School Assets by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education," proposed by Seoul city council member Kim Kyunam, was passed last year.

Kim Kyunam, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, is being interviewed at the Seoul Metropolitan Council Members' Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, on October 22 last year. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Council member Kim stated, "With Seoul's land prices so high, it's not easy to build senior welfare housing in the city. If the Office of Education offers closed school sites for long-term lease, we could have senior welfare housing for middle-class seniors in downtown Seoul." He also plans to expand the use of closed schools to include nursing facilities.

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The advantage is that most elementary, middle, and high schools are located in accessible areas, allowing seniors to maintain connections with neighbors and family, and by staying in their familiar neighborhoods, they can better cope with environmental changes.

In February of last year, Hwayang Elementary School in Gwangjin District, Seoul, was closed as the fourth school to shut down in Seoul. The school is located an 8-minute walk from Konkuk University Station, a transfer station between Seoul Subway Lines 2 and 7. It is currently open as a resident-only parking lot and a community sports area. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, only seven schools have closed in Seoul since 1990. After Ogok Elementary School in Ogok-dong, Gangseo-gu, closed in 1999, there were no closures for 20 years, but the pace has accelerated in recent years. In 2020, Yeomgang Elementary School and Gongjin Middle School in Gayang-dong, Gangseo-gu, closed their doors. In 2023, Hwayang Elementary School in Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, shut down, and last year, Dobong High School in Dobong-gu, Deoksu High School's Haengdang Branch in Seongdong-gu, and Seongsu Technical High School also closed in succession.

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Of these, Ogok Elementary School is the only one whose land has been sold. "Younggu Art Shim Hyungrae" purchased the 6,800-square-meter site for 2.73 billion won in August 2003. For the remaining six schools, there are still no plans for the sites' use. A Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education official said, "In rural areas, closed schools are sometimes used as educational facilities like experience centers or as cultural facilities like campgrounds," adding, "In Seoul, since the way has been opened to use closed school sites for senior welfare housing, it will serve as a new alternative."

In February of last year, Hwayang Elementary School in Gwangjin District, Seoul, was closed, marking the fourth school closure in Seoul. The school is located an 8-minute walk from Konkuk University Station, a transfer station between Seoul Subway Line 2 and Line 7. It is currently open as a resident-only parking lot and community sports space. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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The number of closed schools in Seoul is expected to increase at a faster pace than before. As of last April, there were 1,317 schools (609 elementary, 390 middle, and 318 high schools) eligible for closure based on student numbers (elementary schools with 240 or fewer students, middle and high schools with 300 or fewer).

A Seoul Metropolitan Council official said, "To close a school, parental consent is required, but strong opposition from parents, alumni associations, or the local community often prevents closure, so there are schools operating with fewer than 80 students. However, if student numbers continue to fall, even these schools won't be able to avoid the closure process."

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