Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun hinted on Tuesday that South Korea will begin the new school year with online classes on April 9 following repeated delays due to the novel coronavirus.

During a pan-government meeting on COVID-19 responses, Chung said that it would be reasonable to begin the new school year step by step starting on April 9, considering preparation situations and the time needed for students to adapt to online classes.

The prime minister called for thorough preparations, saying that all students should be granted computer access and connection to the internet.

Chung also hinted at the possibility that the state college entrance exam set for November 19 will be delayed.

The new school year usually starts in March, but the government had postponed it three times by over a month to April 6 due to the spread of the coronavirus.