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South Korea is expected to see the number of children entering elementary school fall below 300,000 for the first time next year, according to data reported on Nov. 8. Yonhap reports that the first graders, born in 2020, will mark the first-ever drop below the 300,000 threshold, with the 400,000 mark having been broken in 2024, just three years earlier. The Korea Times and KBS World also carried the same projection, highlighting the growing impact of the country's declining birthrate. Chosun Ilbo adds that the rapid decline in student numbers is expected to worsen the educational environment, accelerate school mergers and closures, and lower the nation's potential growth rate, raising concerns about the broader economic impact.