Kim In-ho, Chair of Seoul Metropolitan Council, Welcomes Mayor Oh Se-hoon's Decision on Free Kindergarten Meals

Seoul City Announces Full Implementation of Free Kindergarten Meals... Response to City Council Proposal in Two Weeks... Chair Kim In-ho: "Quick Application to Kindergarten Sites through City Council-Executive Cooperation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, expressed gratitude for Mayor Oh Se-hoon's prompt decision to announce the plan for free kindergarten meals on the morning of the 4th, stating that efforts will be made to ensure that free kindergarten meals can be implemented on-site as soon as possible in cooperation with the executive branch before the 300th extraordinary session ends.

Chairman Kim In-ho said, "While proposing free kindergarten meals in the opening address of the 300th session, I did not expect such a quick response," and emphasized, "I hope that this great achievement of free kindergarten meals will serve as an opportunity for the executive branch and the city council to cooperate more closely and produce meaningful results during the COVID-19 crisis."

He added, "Mayor Oh's decision will be a very important stepping stone for Seoul to achieve stronger educational welfare," and said, "At a time when Seoul recorded the worst birth rate in history last year, the city's effort to alleviate the childcare burden on families through free kindergarten meals and expand solidarity is expected to be a significant turning point in public awareness."

Chairman Kim continued, "We will closely monitor the field to ensure more seamless welfare in early childhood education settings," and added, "As Mayor Oh mentioned, the government and local governments need to work together to prepare complementary measures so that children in daycare centers are not unfairly discriminated against due to free kindergarten meals."

This morning, Mayor Oh announced at the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that he plans to fully implement free kindergarten meals, stating that discussions with the city council, research projects to accurately calculate meal costs and assess financial support burdens will be conducted to promote free kindergarten meals as soon as possible.

Furthermore, he urged the government to prepare a comprehensive plan for infant and toddler meals to prevent equity issues with children in daycare centers.

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