Cho says Korea proves that it is possible to achieve safety and education in COVID - 19 eraSeoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee - yeon speaks during an interview with The Korea Herald in his office in central Seoul . ( Park Hyun - koo / The Korea Herald ) The COVID - 19 pandemic has brought forward much - needed revolution in education . Ready or not , the schools have moved online , opening a new space for both education equality and inequality , said Seoul ’ s education chief Cho Hee - yeon . “ In online learning , there is more room for educational inequality to worsen , but at the same time , there exist opportunities to enhance personalized learning , ” Cho , superintendence of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education , said in an interview with The Korea Herald at his office in central Seoul . Despite the many drawbacks of online learning , some positive changes are also noticeable . Some students who have been shy in physical classrooms become more active . Teachers can give each student different feedback customized for their needs , Cho explained . “ In the process of preparing for online classes , cooperative school culture has been formed through active exchanges among teachers seeking to raise their quality of lectures , ” he said , calling it a “ revolution ” in classrooms . The online learning cannot entirely replace traditional education held in classrooms because the meaning of education goes beyond accumulating knowledge . It is rather the process of forming their personalities and growing as a member of society by interacting with peers and teachers and learning to respect each other . “ So the future of education is blended learning , ” Cho said , adding the optimal ratio for online learning and in - person classes could be divided half and half . “ Remote learning , which was triggered by the COVID - 19 , will accelerate a transition from in - person classes - focused education to blended learning - focused education . ” While many other countries interchangeably choose between the opening and closing of schools , Korea is promoting continuity of education for students through blended learning , an approach that combines distance learning methods with in - person education methods . Faced with the novel coronavirus epidemic , Korean schools began offering online classes in April in the country ’ s biggest online learning experiment . Starting from May 20 , the phased reopening of schools ended Monday , with virtually all Korean students now back in classrooms . Currently , classes are held both online and offline for most schools to reduce the number of students in physical classrooms . Depending on grade and class , it is recommended that about one - third of total students of a school receive in - person classes while the rest learn from home . While in school , students also take breaks and dine at different times . They get temperature checks twice a day and wear a mask at all times except during meals . “ COVID - 19 provides us a chance to develop into a leading country in distance learning , keeping pace with our reputation as a leading IT country , ” he said , vowing more investment in building infrastructure at schools for remote learning . The Seoul education office has already offered digital devices to students from low - income families to bridge the digital divide , seen as one of the steps to increase Korea ’ s preparedness for digital learning . “ Even though the virus situation gets worse , we don ’ t consider all - out school closures . Students ’ learning will continue online , ” he said , referring to various quarantine measures put in place at Korean schools . He labeled it “ K - education , ” the signature Korean quarantine model in the education sector . Reopening of schools is a major test for the country ’ s efforts to return to normalcy in the people ’ s daily lives while keeping the virus situation under control , as the pandemic is expected to prolong . Safety concerns persist over school reopening , as Korea continues to see sporadic , small - scale coronavirus outbreaks in the Seoul metropolitan area . As of Monday , some 517 schools , nearly all in the Seoul metropolitan area , had suspended their school operations . However , there has not been a reported incident of a coronavirus transmission at a school , according to the Education Ministry . “ Our strategy is to find a way to harmonize and achieve both -- quarantine measures and education -- in the COVID - 19 crisis , ” he said . And the revolution in the country ’ s education system should go beyond establishing a stable online learning system , he said . The COVID - 19 pandemic showed the world that only cooperation beyond borders can tackle global issues such as climate change and infectious diseases , which is why educating Korean students to become “ global citizens ” is necessary , he said . For that , Cho plans to further pave the way to raise awareness of human rights , peace , cultural diversity and environment in classrooms across the country ’ s capital . A former liberal sociology professor at Seoul ’ SungKongHoe University , Cho , who was elected to his post in 2014 and was reelected for his second term in 2018 , has been at the forefront of tackling the education gap stemming from parental wealth that often affects students ’ academic performance and their chances to go on to university . His liberal yet controversial policies have put a focus on offering equal opportunities for education --   rooting out hierarchy in Korea ’ s school system by abolishing elite schools and boosting the quality of public education by customizing it to each student ’ s needs . By Ock Hyun - ju ( laeticia . ock @ heraldcorp . com ) [ 네이버 에서 코리아 헤럴드 구독 ] ▶ KH Podcast    ▶ KH Video <ⓒ KoreaHerald ( www . koreaherald . com ) 무단 전재 및 재 배포 금지 >