Schoolyard Full of Waste and Pet Excrement… Residential Areas Grow Desolate

The phenomenon of school closures, once concentrated in rural areas, has been steadily occurring within major metropolitan downtown areas as well, leaving administrative authorities grappling with how to utilize the vacant spaces.

Bibong Elementary School in Bisan-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu, currently has its gates tightly locked, preventing entry into the school grounds.

Having opened in 1986, the school closed down after 40 years due to a steady decline in the school-age population, and public access has been suspended since last September due to building management issues.

Even though it has been less than a year since its closure, the pathways inside the school were littered with fallen leaves and garbage, plants in flower pots had withered, and "No Entry" notices were posted in red lettering on the entrance doors.

The nearby residential area also appears to be losing its vitality following the school's closure.

Some commercial buildings, including two stationery stores that went out of business in front of the main gate, were completely empty, with unsold odds and ends left sitting inside.

A resident surnamed Baek said that the area had already been losing vitality as the number of students decreased years ago, but the atmosphere has plunged into stagnation rapidly since the school closure.

The resident added that without resident management staff on site, the playground has become a mess with pet excrement and garbage, and urged that measures for utilizing the closed school building be drawn up promptly.

According to the Ministry of Education's Local Education Finance Alimi website, 54 schools in the Daegu region have closed down from 1983 to this year.

Daegu has seen school closures continue for four consecutive years starting in 2023, and notably this year, downtown schools such as Wolgok Elementary School in Dalseo-gu and Bibong Elementary School in Seo-gu have also begun to shut their doors one by one.

In the case of Bibong Elementary School, Seo-gu is conducting a research study alongside the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education to devise utilization plans, and plans to gather resident opinions to review candidates such as a cultural experience center, a parking lot, and resting spaces.

However, considering that the school is located in a residential area with low surrounding population density and steep slopes that reduce accessibility, finding a utilization plan is expected to be no easy task.

Even if the number of closed schools in downtown areas increases going forward, including Bibong Elementary School, the budget and personnel available to manage them are limited, raising the strong possibility that they could become a headache.

An official from Seo-gu explained that this is the first time they are conducting a study to devise utilization measures for a closed downtown school, and added that since cultural facilities such as a library already exist around Bibong Elementary School, finding a solution appears challenging.

The official added that they plan to gather resident opinions to the maximum extent and finalize the study by January of next year.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.