Gwangju Mayor Candidate Lee Yong-seop Visits Daycare Center to Communicate with Staff

"Chojeochulsan and Childcare Issues: Gwangju Takes the Lead in Solutions"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Yong-seop, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, visited a daycare center in Yangsan-dong, Buk-gu, as his first destination after registering as a preliminary candidate on the 1st, to observe childcare sites and listen to the opinions of related personnel.

The reason Lee chose childcare sites as his first destination is to supplement and expand the policy of “Making Gwangju a Good Place to Have and Raise Children,” which was a key initiative during the 7th local government administration, aiming to create a Gwangju where both children and parents are happy.

Lee explained, “During my tenure as mayor, I recognized that if we do not solve the population problem caused by ultra-low birth rates, the sustainability of the city cannot be secured. Since 2019, we have established a six-stage (meeting-marriage-pregnancy-birth-childcare-work-life balance) life cycle support system. As a result, Gwangju saw an increase in the number of births last year for the first time in six years, and it was the only metropolitan local government in the country to record a monthly year-on-year increase in births.”

He added, “Nevertheless, to hear about various difficulties and hardships that can only be understood on-site, I visited childcare sites as my first schedule after registering as a candidate,” and listened to opinions.

On that day, Lee listened to various opinions from daycare center officials and citizens and promised to reflect them in his upcoming “Nation of People” pledge.

He emphasized, “I will make Gwangju a city where young people can become parents, form precious families, and live happy lives from childbirth to childcare. We will further strengthen the six-stage life cycle support system, including expanding free education and childcare for children under five, and establish policies that are deeply rooted in the field.”

He continued, “Gwangju, which has led the times, is now taking the lead in solving the ultra-low birth rate and childcare issues, which are matters of national destiny, with the belief that children are the hope for the future. We will further develop the ‘Making Gwangju a Good Place to Have and Raise Children’ policy, which was recognized by the Blue House, academic societies, and other local governments during the 7th local government administration, to the extent that people say ‘Let’s go to Gwangju to raise children,’ creating a city where parents and children are happy.”

Meanwhile, during Lee’s tenure as mayor in the 7th local government administration, Gwangju City actively implemented various effective customized measures such as ▲establishing a six-stage life cycle support system ▲opening the nation’s first 24-hour emergency childcare center ▲expanding public daycare centers ▲supporting infertility treatment costs for couples ▲launching the Gwangju Childcare Integrated Platform ▲providing birth celebration money and childcare allowances ▲implementing the ‘Mom Comfortable Package’ for pregnant working mothers ▲supporting interest on rental deposits for newlyweds ▲and implementing Gwangju-style public postpartum care services.

Last year, the city introduced its childbirth promotion policies to the Blue House, received the top award for excellent administration among metropolitan local governments in the first half of 2021 from the Korea Public Policy Evaluation Association and the Korean Governance Society, and was the only metropolitan local government to receive the ‘Policy Award’ from the Korean Policy Studies Association, recognizing its achievements.

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