Bang Jun-young, a member of the Deokjeok High School baseball team, naps during an English class at Deokjeok High School, on Deokjeok island in Incheon, South Korea, September 12, 2023. The island has a population of 1,800, the majority of them elderly. Last year, it was on the brink of losing its last school under a nationwide school board guideline that stipulates closures if the number of students falls below 60. That has now changed, thanks to a specialised sports academy set up by Kim Hak-yong, former manager of the elite Dongguk University team that has produced scores of players in the national KBO major league, and his friend Chang Kwang-ho, manager of the Deokjeok High School baseball team. "The players who come here come with an amazing mindset. You don't come here unless you're willing to give up everything," said Chang. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
