[Photo] Preparing for the first year of school

Children who are preparing to enter the first grade of elementary school gathered across Seoul to meet their prospective classmates and make new friends. The Seoul Office of Education manages 557 public schools and projects 77,252 students for 2018, which is a 2.05% drop from last year, when 78,867 students were set to enroll. This is a marked drop-off from five years ago, when 81,294 students entered the public school system. The photo shows two girls at the Yongam Elementary School in the Yongsan District of Seoul. (by Baek So-ah, staff photographer)