Assemblyman Seodongyong Raises Questions in National Assembly's Education and Social Affairs Sector

Support School Normalization with Early Vaccination and Securing Quarantine Personnel
Need to Resolve University Tuition Conflicts Caused by COVID-19
Government Must Actively Address POSCO Industrial Accidents and Environmental Pollution Issues

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Seo Dong-yong, Member of the National Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea, Jeonnam Suncheon-si, Gwangyang-si, Gokseong-gun, Gurye-gun (B)), will participate in the National Assembly’s government questioning session on education, social, and cultural affairs starting around 2 p.m. on the 8th.

As the seventh questioner of the day, Assemblyman Seo plans to raise inquiries on four main topics: school quarantine measures, university tuition issues, POSCO industrial accidents, and environmental pollution problems.

As a member of the Education Committee, Seo Dong-yong will first urge Yoo Eun-hye, Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, to take proactive government measures to restore normal school life through early vaccination and securing quarantine personnel.

This is to demand thorough quarantine measures in response to the growing need to expand in-person classes due to basic academic decline and learning gaps caused by prolonged remote learning.

He will also question the ongoing university tuition conflicts that have persisted for a year due to the spread of COVID-19.

Regarding the dissatisfaction among university students caused by decreased satisfaction with remote classes and inability to use school facilities, Assemblyman Seo plans to urge authorities not only to observe the autonomous tuition review process but also to constructively consider financial support.

He will also address the recurring environmental pollution and industrial accidents at POSCO. Environmental pollution issues caused by steel mills, such as the opening of bleeder valves, have long troubled local residents but have yet to see significant improvements. Accordingly, he plans to call for follow-up environmental improvement measures by companies and active management and supervision by the Ministry of Environment.

Finally, he will demand solutions to POSCO’s industrial accidents and call for measures to strengthen public interest.

Including the industrial accident on November 24 last year at the Gwangyang Steelworks that resulted in three deaths, a total of 18 people, including both primary contractors and subcontractors, lost their lives due to industrial accidents at POSCO over the past three years from 2018 to last year.

To break this cycle of repeated accidents, he plans to demand strict management and supervision by related ministries, preparation of measures to secure the public interest of the steel industry, and the establishment of an Industrial Safety and Health Agency, calling for a progressive government response.

Assemblyman Seo Dong-yong stated strongly, “I have carefully selected urgent and significant issues in our society as topics for government questioning. The key phrase is the restoration of daily life. We will restore our children’s daily lives by securing safe in-person classes and recover the health and daily lives of workers and local residents by resolving industrial accidents and environmental pollution issues. We will not stop at questioning but will continue to discuss and review follow-up measures with the government and ruling party to resolve these issues to the end.”

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