More than 2,200 elementary, middle and high school sports teams have been disbanded across South Korea over the past 14 years, reducing the number of teams from 6,061 in 2010 to just 3,800 by 2024. The sharp decline is mainly due to shrinking student populations and growing challenges in managing school teams, including administrative burdens and issues related to misconduct.

Some sports have been hit especially hard. For instance, there are only four high school ice hockey teams remaining nationwide.

Schools often struggle to recruit new members - particularly for less popular sports. To keep teams afloat, some accept students from other regions for group housing, occasionally leading to residency violations. Sudden team disbandments also disrupt student athletes’ career paths and contribute to a broader decline in youth team sports.

Experts warn that continued disbandments could threaten the country's future in elite athletics.