SEOUL — South Korea has passed a bill banning the use of mobile phones in school classrooms nationwide, officials said on Thursday, joining other countries in efforts to curb social media use among minors.
South Korea to ban mobile phones in school classrooms
One of the world’s most wired nations, South Korea has sought to tighten rules on electronic devices in schools, citing concerns over smartphone addiction among students.
The bill, which will take effect in March 2026, bans smart devices, including mobile phones, in classrooms and was passed on Wednesday, a National Assembly spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The move makes South Korea the latest country to restrict social media use among schoolchildren, following similar steps in countries that include Australia and the Netherlands., This news data comes from:http://ue-blc-nfs-bplu.erlvyiwan.com
Seoul’s Education Ministry said in a statement that the law banned 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 wellbeing.
Against this backdrop, the law was needed to ease social conflict “by clearly defining rules on smart device use in schools,” the lawmakers said in a document introducing the bill.
But it has drawn backlash from groups, including the left-wing Jinbo Party, which said the law would “infringe on students’ digital rights and right to education.”
The measure “prevents adolescents from learning to make responsible decisions on their own and deprives them of opportunities to adapt to the digital environment,” the party said in a statement.
- PNP enlists Interpol help in hunt for Japanese mastermind behind Manila double murder
- DMW, pharmaceutical firm sign agreement to boost access to medicines, hospital services for OFWs, families
- Russian drone, missile attack kills 14, injured 48 in Kyiv
- Dizon to order DPWH officials to submit courtesy resignation
- Taiwan's Lai ups defense spending target to 5% of GDP
- 1 of 2 suspects in Pasay robbery, rape arrested
- Hontiveros wants Senate to probe Chinese who pretended to be Filipino
- Tourists dice with danger on Hanoi's train street
- Marcos mum on Magalong joining independent commission for DPWH probe
- NKorea could produce ten to twenty nukes per year — SKorea leader
