South Korea has passed a bill, effective March 2026, to ban mobile phone and smart device use during class hours in schools nationwide. This bipartisan effort aims to curb smartphone addiction, which lawmakers, parents, and teachers believe negatively impacts students' academic performance.

• The bill passed with 115 votes in favor out of 163 members present.
• MP Cho Jung-hun from the opposition People Power Party introduced the bill.
• A 2024 government survey revealed that 43% of South Koreans aged 10 to 19 are over-reliant on their phones, with more than a third of teens struggling to control social media scrolling.