‘Zombie universities’ face drastic action as births fall
South Korean universities that are least able to attract students could be closed down under new restructuring plans revealed by the Ministry of Education this month to reform universities affected by the country’s rapid decline in population.
The drop in student numbers is affecting universities disproportionately, with those outside Seoul and its surrounding areas least popular with students.
Many of them have been in dire financial straits for years, dubbed by the media as ‘Zombie universities’, but have been spared drastic action by the government, concerned by the economic impact of closures on areas outside the Seoul region.