(SOUTH KOREA) SPED pop. "continues to rise" while overall school pop. declining
This year, the nationwide shortage of special education teachers has surpassed 4,600 compared to the legally mandated placement standard. The number of students requiring special education is increasing every year, but a growing number of teachers are leaving the field due to poor working conditions, prompting urgent calls for countermeasures.
According to data from Munsu Kim, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea who serves on the National Assembly's Education Committee, as of 2026, the assigned quota for special education teachers stands at 18,046. This figure falls short by 4,663 teachers compared to the statutory deployment standard defined in Article 22 of the Enforcement Decree of the Special Education Act, which requires one teacher per four special education students. . . .
Poor working environments, such as overcrowded classrooms, are accelerating the exodus of teachers. Given the nature of special education, which frequently involves unexpected situations and carries a high work intensity, 862 special education teachers have quit in the past five years. This is more than three times the number of those who retired due to reaching the mandatory retirement age during the same period (260 teachers). . . .
Munsu Kim stated, "The number of students receiving special education support has increased steadily every year since 2022, reaching 124,195 as of 2026." He pointed out, "Due to the shortage of special education teachers, students' right to learn is severely compromised, and teachers' working conditions have reached their limits."
He went on to emphasize, "Although it is difficult to hire new full-time teachers because the overall school-age population is declining, the reality is that the number of special education students continues to rise. Considering this grave situation, it is imperative to urgently increase the quota for special education teachers."
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