Abandoned schools become community lifelines as towns battle population decline

The Korea Times - Nov 9, 2026

Declining birth rates and rapid rural depopulation across Korea have left hundreds of neighborhood schools standing empty, silent monuments to a shifting demographic landscape. But instead of leaving these idle facilities to decay into local eyesores, regional authorities are increasingly turning closed campuses into vital community lifelines. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Education on Monday jointly announced the winners of the government's inaugural contest recognizing outstanding repurposing of abandoned schools. Out of 62 submissions nationwide, seven projects were selected for financial grants and national recognition, highlighting how creative adaptive reuse can help rural communities combat population decline while offering urban centers new cultural infrastructure. The top award, the Prime Minister’s Award, went to the Tongyeong Board of Education in South Gyeongsang Province for converting the former Yongho Branch of Hansan Elementary School into a public cat protection and adoption center. Originally proposed by island residents, the project tr

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