PHOTOS: Elementary school in Seoul welcomes fresh students as spring semester begins
By Han Jun-guPosted : March 6, 2025, 17:41Updated : March 6, 2025, 17:46
Children and their parents arrive for an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
SEOUL, March 6 (AJP) - Many elementary schools in South Korea welcomed first-graders as this year's spring semester began across the country this week.
The one in Seoul's western district of Mapo was among them, holding an entrance ceremony for about 105 new students amid heavy snow last Tuesday.
Children and their parents arrive for an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
Children and their parents arrive for an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
The school's gate was adorned with colorful balloons as teachers greeted excited yet nervous children arriving with their parents, who sent them off as they began a new chapter in their lives.
Children and their parents arrive for an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
Children and their parents arrive for an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
At 11 a.m., the indoor ceremony began with students receiving name tags and meeting their classmates and teachers for the first time. Some were excited to mingle with new friends, while others appeared shy in the unfamiliar environment.
Children and their parents arrive for an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
Despite some worries, parents couldn't help but smile with pride and joy as they watched their little ones take this big step into school life.
After the ceremony, they took commemorative photos to celebrate this special occasion.
New students attend an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
New students attend an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
Meanwhile, in a country with the lowest birth rate, about 184 schools nationwide had no new students at all, with several schools holding entrance ceremonies for just a single first-grader – 22 schools in Gangwon Province, 28 in South Chungcheong Province and five in Incheon.
Nearly 50 schools have either closed or are doomed to close this year.
New students attend an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
A boy and his mother pose for a photo at an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
A boy and his mother pose for a photo at an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
New students and their parents pose for a photo at an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
A girl and her mother attend an entrance ceremony at Ahyun Elementary School in Mapo, western Seoul on March 4, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
New students pose for a photo at an entrance ceremony at an elementary school in Gwangju on March 4, 2025. Yonhap
A girl, the sole new student at Kyodong Elementary School in Incheon, walks to her classroom on March 4, 2025. Yonhap
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