A year into pandemic, new school year starts amid hopes and concerns Posted : 2021-03-02 13:53 Updated : 2021-03-02 13:53 Students enter the gate of Naesung Elementary School in Busan, Tuesday. Schools across Korea opened for the new school year amid a mix of hopes and concerns. Yonhap South Korean schools opened for the new school year Tuesday amid a mix of anxiety and hopes, as the country is still fighting against the third wave of the pandemic, but much-anticipated vaccinations have finally begun. The Ministry of Education has said it would expand in-person classes this year, by giving schools more leeway and revising the government's health protocols on COVID-19 at schools.