ISTANBUL

South Korea on Wednesday passed a law to ban the use of mobile phones and digital devices during classes in schools.

The prohibition was passed by the National Assembly as a revision to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in a rare bipartisan agreement between the ruling Democratic Party and opposition People Power Party, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.

The ban is scheduled to come into effect from the next spring semester, in March.

According to the new law, students with disabilities or those receiving special education may use the devices as assistive tools with prior approval.

Each school will also be allowed to create its own policies in accordance with the new law, such as banning phones entirely on campus.

The violation of the ban will be punishable with warnings and counseling, disciplinary action, and guidance by the school authorities.

The new law follows the South Korean Education Ministry's previous administrative notice restricting smartphone use during class in 2023.

Last month, Australia, the first country to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms, expanded the ban to include YouTube, after previously restricting X, Instagram, and others. The ban will take effect later this year.