Starting in 2026, the Ministry of Education plans to integrate preschool educational institutions in South Korea to reduce social disparities. Currently overseen separately by the education and health ministries, kindergartens and child care centers will be unified under the supervision of the education ministry. The government aims to finalize integration procedures by the end of this year and proposes creating a new institution, potentially named “infants and young children school” or “young children school.” Public feedback will be gathered for a proposed integration law, expected to be enacted in 2025 for implementation in 2026.
