Nearly 80 pct of schools in Seoul suspected of containing asbestos

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- Nearly 80 percent of schools in Seoul are suspected of containing asbestos, a report showed Tuesday, raising concerns that students are faced with serious health risks from the cancer-causing material.
According to the report by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, 77.2 percent of kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul have facilities suspected of containing asbestos. The report is based on its survey of 2,163 schools in 2009.
Of Seoul's high schools, 98.3 percent of facilities were suspected of containing asbestos. The ratio for elementary schools came next with 86.2 percent, followed by middle schools and kindergartens with 84.7 percent and 80.8 percent, respectively, the report showed.