The South Korean Ministry of Education revealed this week that over 4,000 schools have shut down nationwide between 1980 and March 2025, responding to the rapid collapse of the child population in the past generation.
School enrollment in South Korea dwindled by nearly 5 million students during the same time period, according to the Korea Times, indicating that the school shutdowns are directly related to South Korea’s status as the world’s least fertile country.
“Elementary schools account for the majority of closures, with 3,674 shut down permanently, compared with 264 middle schools and 70 high schools,” the Korea Times reported. “Over the past five years alone, 158 schools have closed, and an additional 107 schools are projected to shut down over the next
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