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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, with the 2020-born cohort (the so-called 'COVID babies') totaling 272,337, according to data from the national statistics portal and the Korean Educational Development Institute compiled by Yonhap and other outlets. The 400,000 mark was broken just three years ago, in 2024, and the 2026 figure would be about a quarter of the 1 million-plus first graders recorded in 1968, Dong-A Ilbo reports. The decline is attributed to the country's low birth rate, with Chosun Ilbo warning it could worsen the educational environment, accelerate school closures and mergers, and lower the economy's potential growth rate.