South Korea's education authorities have reaffirmed that schools will continue to reopen in phases as planned. 

Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom gave his assurance during a media briefing on Thursday, noting 95-point-two percent of around 442-thousand high school seniors returned to school the previous day as scheduled. 

Out of two-thousand-363 high schools nationwide, two-thousand-277 schools carried out face-to-face classes as the country reopened schools nearly 80 days after the original start of the semester. 

This week, slightly over two-thousand high school seniors were banned from returning to school after taking self-assessment health surveys at home while some 730 students were sent home after failing to pass temperature checks. 

A total of 115 students have been put in isolation by health authorities for showing suspected COVID-19 symptoms. 

High school sophomores, middle school seniors and first and second grade elementary school students are scheduled to return to the classroom next Wednesday together with kindergarten students. 

Students in all others grades will follow suit on June 3 and June 8.