▲An estimated 1.35 million students from the fifth to sixth grades of elementary school and the first grade of middle school on June 8 started their school year delayed for 99 days because of the coronavirus outbreak. Pictured here are students from Jeil Middle School on Jeju Island going to school the same day. (Yonhap News)

By Kim Minji and Lee Hana

An estimated 1.35 million students from the fifth to sixth grades of elementary school and the first grade of middle school on June 8 started their 2020 school year, as the nation completed the phased opening of schools amid the coronavirus outbreak.

After a 99-day delay, 5.95 million students from kindergarten through high school were back in classrooms nationwide.

To limit close contact between students, education offices across the country allowed only a third of elementary and middle school students and two-thirds of those in high school to be at school at the same time.

Except seniors, high school students were attending school every other week, with most elementary and middle school students going once or twice per week and taking the rest of their classes online.

Nationwide, the first day of school this year was supposed to be March 2, but five delays ensued because of the pandemic. Online classes began on April 9. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hae on June 5 took part in an online meeting with parents on quarantine measures, saying, "We are cooperating closely around the clock under an emergency response system to best prevent a dangerous situation at school, as well as quickly respond to any emergency situation there."

kimmj7725@korea.kr