‘Jongno-gu Child-Friendly Policy’ Wins Excellence Award at Manifesto Competition

Significant Expansion of Public and National Childcare Centers from 24 in 2013 to 33 in 2020... Creation of Spaces Like 'Sanmaru Playground' and 'Early Childhood Forest Experience Center' for Urban Children to Play

Children's Creative Play Space 'Sanmaru Playground'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) achieved the honor of winning the Excellence Award for its child-friendly city policy at the 11th National Basic Local Government Heads Manifesto Best Practice Competition hosted by the Korea Manifesto Practice Headquarters.

Under the banner "A city where children are happy is a city where everyone lives well," the excellence of Jongno-gu's child-friendly policy, which has been promoted since February 2016, was recognized.

Jongno-gu has been striving to create a child-rearing friendly environment to respond to rapid super-aging and low birthrate phenomena caused by the outflow of young generations due to the old urban environment and high housing costs in the district.

A representative example is the significant expansion of public daycare centers from only 24 locations in 2013 to 33 locations in 2020, allowing parents to leave their children with peace of mind.

This accounts for 44.6% of all daycare centers in Jongno-gu, which is 3.4 times higher than the national average of 13%.

Additionally, to create spaces where children can freely play amid the gray buildings densely packed in the city center, the ‘Sanmaru Playground’ in Changsin-dong and the ‘Toddler Forest Experience Centers’ in Samcheong and Sungin Parks were established. The ‘Sanmaru Playground,’ which won the Presidential Award at the 2019 Land Grand Prize and became a local landmark, was highly praised for creating a new concept of creative play space rather than a conventional standardized playground.

Moreover, as the first local government in the country to open a specialized performance hall for children, the ‘Idul Theater’ was inaugurated in Hyehwa-dong. Considering that the area houses the National Children's Science Museum, numerous elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as historical and cultural facilities including the Jangmyeon House, Jongno-gu has continuously held various events such as the ‘Idul Street Festival’ for children and family visitors.

In 2017, Jongno-gu was designated as a UNICEF Child-Friendly City, recognized as a city where children live well by practicing the fundamental spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This achievement is the result of consistent efforts to enhance children's happiness and rights, including the enactment of the ‘Ordinance on the Creation of a Child-Friendly City in Jongno-gu’ to establish a legal basis, and the establishment of a dedicated team in January 2017 to ensure that children's interests are prioritized in district projects.

Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “I believe that Jongno-gu’s child-friendly policy is just beginning. We will not be satisfied with this Excellence Award but will strive to repay residents with policies that bring satisfaction and joy to more people. We will create a safe and happy community for both children and parents and provide unwavering support for the healthy growth of children.”

Meanwhile, on May 26, Jongno-gu also received the highest grade in the ‘7th Local Government Heads’ Pledge Implementation Evaluation,’ achieving the top rating for two consecutive years following 2019.

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