[Interview] Kim Young-jong, Mayor of Jongno-gu, "Creating a City That Raises Children Safely and Happily"

Improving Indoor Air Quality Management in Small Multi-Use Facilities, Opening of Nature-Friendly 'Sanmaru Playground', Construction of Public Libraries, and Child-Focused Streets: UNICEF Child-Friendly City Implements Various Projects in Health and Social Services, Play and Leisure, and Educational Environments

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] "Creating an environment where children can be raised safely and happily is the way to build a livable city."

Kim Young-jong, Mayor of Jongno-gu, said this while explaining the purpose of Jongno-gu's child-friendly city policy in an interview with Asia Economy.

Mayor Kim's philosophy is that good air quality is essential for children to live healthy and happy lives. Since the 5th local government administration, Jongno-gu has made significant efforts to create a "clear and clean Jongno" as a key project. In particular, it has focused on improving indoor air quality in multi-use facilities within Jongno. For the future of Jongno's children, 113 locations including daycare centers and kindergartens have been classified as health-sensitive facilities, and the indoor air quality management frequency has been increased from once a year to four times a year.

Additionally, the district has concentrated on securing spaces where children can play freely. The Sanmaru Playground, which opened in May last year, is a representative example. Taking into account the many sewing factories in Changsin-dong, Jongno-gu, a thimble-shaped jungle gym was installed inside, along with a sand playground and a loess floor.

Investment in the educational environment is also necessary to create a city where children are happy. Mayor Kim said, "From the children's perspective, we started building neighborhood libraries with the goal of 'a 10-minute walk'." He added, "We are creating distinctive libraries based on the belief that 'the value of a library lies not in the facility but in the diverse books that stimulate curiosity'." So far, 17 public libraries have been operated with this purpose.

Jongno-gu's exemplary library cases were even introduced by the prominent American media outlet The New York Times under the title "Ending the Obsession with Innovation." The New York Times described the Samcheong Park Forest Library as an innovation focused on a "people-centered future" that 21st-century society should pursue. In Myeongnyun-dong, where Sungkyunkwan was located, the "Children and Youth National Studies Library" was built to inform children and adolescents about the spirit of Korean studies and to foster a proper understanding of history. The Hanok library "Cheongun Literature Library," located amidst the scenery of Inwangsan Mountain, operates as a literature-specialized library in connection with the nearby Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum. Furthermore, reflecting Jongno's unique characteristics, libraries such as the "Uri Sori Library" in Ikseon-dong, the center of Korean traditional music, have been steadily established.

Along with this, the district plans to create a "Children's Specialized Street" on Hyehwa-ro. In Hyehwa-dong, there is the "Children's Theater," a specialized children's performance hall, as well as the nearby "National Children's Science Museum." Accordingly, by April 2020, a street themed around children will be created along the Hyehwa-ro historical exploration path, utilizing symbols of the Children's Theater to provide spaces for art and history, education and experience, and rest. Mayor Kim stated, "We will continue to actively implement child-friendly administration tailored to the characteristics of the region."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.