Anchor: Schools across South Korea will start the 2020 academic year online due to concerns over the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Education Ministry announced schools will remain closed indefinitely until the pandemic situation gets better. Students meanwhile, will learn in virtual classrooms.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 
 
Report: Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, South Korea has decided to resume school operations online. 

[Sound bite: Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye (Korean)]
"The Education Ministry held a meeting today with the central response headquarters to finalize when and how school operations will resume. Online curriculum for the 2020 academic year will start for all elementary, middle and high schools except kindergartens in phases from April 9."
  
Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye announced the unprecedented decision Tuesday, adding that the uncharted program may not be perfect from the beginning.

[Sound bite: Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye (Korean)]
"South Korea is an IT power house with the highest level of smart device penetration and technological capabilities. Most of all, we have 450-thousand devoted education experts and teachers that cannot be found elsewhere in the world. As the COVID-19 outbreak calls for changing study methods and preparing for the future, I think as Education Minister that now is the time to pursue remote education."  
 
While it remains uncertain when students will be able to physically attend classes amid the virus pandemic, for the time being, they'll be able to log in from home to access online lectures and other supplementary programs. This will begin in phases from Thursday next week with middle school students in their third year and high school seniors.
 
First and second year middle and high school students, as well as fourth, fifth and sixth graders in elementary school will start taking online classes on April 16. First, second and third graders will follow suit on April 20. 
 
Smart devices and wifi access will be provided for students from low-income households.  
 
Dr. Kim Ee-kyung, Dean of College of Education at Chung-Ang University, told KBS World Radio News that she agrees with education authorities that schools should not open yet, and that online classes are inevitable.
 
[Sound bite: Prof. Kim Ee-kyung, Dean of College of Education、Chung-Ang University (English) (01:58-0:309) ]
“In this crisis we have to think about what to gain and lose when we start our schools offline, and we have to wait. Which decisions will result in irreversible consequences? I think that online classes are an inevitable choice. We cannot afford to neglect our students learning opportunities anymore. It is also not an option for our students attend the classes physically in the middle of the ever-increasing number of infected people globally.”
 
Dr. Ahn Mi-lee, Hanyang University professor of educational technology, specializes in development online curriculum and said she thinks South Korea has the right infrastructure to cope with this major shift into online education. 
 
[Sound bite:　Prof. Ahn Mi-lee, Dep’t of Educational Technology, Hanyang University (English) (12:43-13:35) ]
“We do have somewhat advanced infrastructure compared to other countries. I think that this something we have some good possibility that we can do online learning. However, the preparation time for the teachers, and the students and the parents and the system is not ready. So what we need to do is, we have EBSi and also some Wedorang and then digital textbooks. Those are the things that we can use for online learning, and it carries a great deal of contents.”

Widely regarded as the most important exam for Korean students, the College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT) this year will be postponed by two weeks to December 3.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.