Korea bets on regional universities as student pool shrinks 40%

An old joke in Korea says colleges will close in the order the cherry blossoms bloom, starting with those farthest from Seoul.

For more than a decade, the saying has illustrated the growing anxiety over South Korea’s shrinking college-age population and the widening gap between universities in the capital region and those elsewhere.

Many regional universities face mounting financial pressure and the risk of closure as student numbers continue to decline.

The concern is not only that some schools ...