South Korea to ban mobile phones in classrooms

SEOUL (AFP) — South Korea has passed a bill banning the use of mobile phones in school classrooms nationwide, officials said Thursday, joining other countries in efforts to curb social media use among minors.

One of the world’s most wired nations, South Korea has recently sought to tighten rules on electronic devices in schools, citing concerns over smartphone addiction among students.

The bill, which will take effect in March next year, bans smart devices including mobile phones in classrooms and was passed Wednesday, a National Assembly spokesperson told Agence France-Presse.

The move makes South Korea the latest country to restrict social media use among schoolchildren, following similar steps in countries including Australia and the Netherlands.

Seoul’s Education Ministry said in a statement that the law bans the use of smartphones in classrooms except when needed as assistive tools for students with disabilities or special education needs, or for educational purposes.

The measure also establishes a legal basis to “restrict the possession and use of such devices to protect students’ right to learn and support teachers’ activities,” it added.

Lawmakers including opposition People Power Party member Cho Jung-hun, who introduced the bill, said the issue had long been “contentious amid concerns over human rights violations.”

But the country’s National Human Rights Commission recently changed its stance, saying limits on phone use for educational purposes do not breach rights given their negative impact on students’ learning and emotional well-being.