S. Korea adds 180 schools despite losing 510,000 students over 6 yrs: data

The number of elementary, middle and high schools in South Korea has increased by 180 over the past six years, data showed Thursday, sparking concerns that the public education funds are not being used efficiently amid continued decline in the student population.

According to a report by the Chosun Ilbo citing data from the Korean Educational Development Institute, the country's student population fell by 510,000, or 9.5 percent, from 5.35 million in 2020 to 4.84 million in 2026. During the same period, the number of schools rose from 11,710 to 11,890.

The contrasting trend was particularly pronounced at the elementary school level, where enrollment fell by 17.5 percent, from 2.69 million to 2.22 million, while the number of schools increased by 71, from 6,120 to 6,191.

The figures highlight a growing mismatch between the declining school-age population and the continued construction of new schools, particularly in newly developed residential areas where population inflows have driven demand for additional facilities.

The discrepancy comes as Korea faces a steep decline in its school-age population, driven by decades of low birth rates.

Government population projections indicate that the number of children of kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school age will fall from approximately 6.74 million in 2020 to 3.87 million in 2035, a decline of more than 40 percent.

The decline is expected to place growing pressure on schools across the country, particularly in rural areas and older urban neighborhoods where falling enrollment has prompted discussions over school closures and consolidation.

The continued increase in school numbers has also been attributed to elected education superintendents' reluctance to consolidate existing schools in the face of local opposition, while accommodating demands for new schools.

School construction is a common campaign pledge among education superintendents and local lawmakers, according to the report.

An official from the Education Ministry's Central Investment Review Committee, which reviews major school construction projects, said that while the need for schools in newly developed towns is understandable, requests for new facilities often fail to consider consolidating smaller schools within the same district.

Under current regulations, school construction projects costing 30 billion won ($22.4 million) or more must undergo a central investment review by the Education Ministry. Projects below that threshold can be approved through reviews conducted independently by local education offices.

Data obtained from the Education Ministry by People Power Party Rep. Lee In-sun showed that 93 percent of school construction projects reviewed by local education offices between 2020 and September 2026 received approval or conditional approval.

The Education Ministry also eased approval requirements in 2023, raising the threshold for mandatory central investment reviews from 10 billion won to 30 billion won.

The continued expansion of school facilities has raised concerns over potential waste in education spending, as constructing new schools requires substantial public investment and maintaining them entails recurring expenses.

Even when enrollment declines, schools continue to incur operating costs and teachers' salaries, raising questions about the long-term financial sustainability of building additional facilities.

Park Dae-kwon, a professor at the Academy of Korean Studies, warned that the current review system places too much emphasis on project costs rather than demographic conditions.

He called for the ministry to strengthen its review criteria to consider population decline and justification for the construction of a school, not just the overall cost of a project.