ISTANBUL 

A total of 49 elementary, middle, and high schools in South Korea's 17 cities and provinces will be closed this year as the school-age population continues to decline, the daily Korea Herald reported on Sunday.

According to government data, the number of schools closing due to a lack of students has increased rapidly in recent years, rising from 22 in 2023 to 33 in 2024.

The %88 of schools scheduled to close by the end of this year are in rural areas, according to data from the Education Ministry.

In the capital Seoul, there is no school facing closure, while Gyeonggi Province, the most populous one surrounding Seoul, has six schools facing closure.

South Jeolla Province, the southernmost region, reported the highest number of schools facing closure, with 10, followed by South Chungcheong Province with nine, North Jeolla Province with eight, and Gangwon Province with seven.

Of the 49 schools set for closure, 38 are elementary schools, accounting for the majority, while eight are middle schools and three are high schools.

The data also revealed that elementary schools in rural areas are facing challenges due to a lack of new enrollments.