Cheon Chang-su, Ulsan Education Superintendent Preliminary Candidate, Pledges Mask Stockpiling to Prepare for Infectious Disease Resurgence and Yellow Dust

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Doo-yeol] Cheon Chang-su, a preliminary candidate for the Ulsan Superintendent of Education by-election, announced on the 16th that he will stockpile 4.8 million KF94 masks for one month to be used by approximately 145,000 students and staff in preparation for the resurgence of infectious diseases and yellow dust.

Since January 30, the indoor mask-wearing mandate has been lifted except for some facilities with high transmission risk such as public transportation and medical institutions, and confirmed cases are also on the decline. However, to proactively prepare for the resurgence of infectious diseases, masks will be stockpiled as disaster management resources.

The budget is estimated to be about 800 million KRW based on the government procurement market price.

Cheon Chang-su, a preliminary candidate for the Ulsan Superintendent of Education by-election, is holding a press conference.

Candidate Cheon believes that the stockpiling of masks by public institutions will also help small and medium-sized mask manufacturing companies facing closure due to a sharp drop in consumption.

At one point, the number of mask manufacturers surged to 4,500 with government support, but currently about 4,000 manufacturers have closed, and mask prices have fallen to cost levels, causing manufacturers to suffer significant losses due to accumulated deficits.

Candidate Cheon said, “The infectious disease has not yet completely ended, and proactive preparation for disasters is important,” adding, “We will install air circulators in cafeterias where the risk of infection spread is high and stockpile sufficient essential quarantine supplies besides masks to prioritize the safety of children.”

Cheon Chang-su pledged to establish an integrated customized learning support system to guarantee basic academic skills, resolve overcrowded classes, expand the two-teacher system in middle schools, operate a one-on-one supplementary learning program, build a digital-based education system, establish a public online school, set up the Ulsan Student Safety Experience Education Center, and install air circulators in gymnasiums and cafeterias.

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