Schools are closed, but the vast majority of private educational institutions in Seoul continue to offer classes in defiance of the social distancing campaign, the Education Ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry warned that the institutions could be forcibly shut down if they do not comply with the government’s guidelines to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, which so far has killed over 120 people in South Korea.

Starting Sunday, the government implemented stricter rules on social distancing, urging people to stay home for 15 days except for essential errands or to go to work. It advised the public to avoid religious gatherings, indoor sports activities and public entertainment facilities.

Following the announcement, the city of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and North Jeolla Province placed restrictions on private study institutions, known as hagwon here, advising them to refrain from holding offline classes until April 5 or ensure that everyone keeps a distance of at least 1 meter.

According to data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Tuesday, only 11.3 percent of the city’s institutes, or 2,839 out of the 25,231 total, were closed Monday.

The figure has fallen sharply after peaking at 40 percent in the second week of this month, following the discovery of a cluster of cases traced to a crowded call center in Seoul that has been linked to at least 158 infections.

The ministry said local governments, along with metropolitan and provincial education offices, would inspect private educational institutions to see if they comply with mandatory disease prevention guidelines. Owners who reopen their facilities after receiving orders to close will face fines of up to 3 million won ($2,400), it added.

To support small institutions that are suffering financially as a result of suspending classes, the government launched a special loan program. But it has received a lukewarm response from hagwon owners, as it still takes over a month to receive the money.

In addition, students and parents are asking hagwon to reopen, as kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools across the country are still on a long winter vacation. They are so far set to reopen April 6, far later than ever before.

On Tuesday, Vice Minister of Education Park Baek-beom hinted that schools may stay closed beyond the scheduled date.

“It is difficult to make a hasty conclusion whether schools will be able to start their year on April 6. Moving up the date is highly unlikely,” he said.

He added that the date for the annual state-administered college entrance exam -- currently scheduled for Nov. 19 -- will be announced once the start date for the new school year is confirmed.

The ministry denied media reports that Cheong Wa Dae and the ministry had decided to postpone the exam by a week or two, saying details had not been discussed.

The modified school calendar presents a disadvantage for high school seniors, who will have to compete with high school graduates retaking the test in hopes of getting better scores.

Since the College Scholastic Aptitude Test was adopted in 1993, it has been rescheduled three times. Past reasons included an earthquake that struck the southeastern city of Pohang in 2017 and the G-20 Summit in Seoul in 2010.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)