Why the Public Institution Chairman Became Santa... Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service Surprises at Hub-Type Daycare Center with Special Event

Jong-gil Park, the President of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, transformed into Santa Claus.

On the morning of the 21st, the Service announced that to celebrate Christmas, it visited the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service Gangseo Daycare Center located in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, to deliver gifts to the children and encourage the daycare staff.

President Park surprised everyone by dressing as Santa Claus, personally handing out Christmas presents to the children, and spending joyful time together making Rudolph soap and having a cookie party.

Opened in December 2018, the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service Gangseo Daycare Center cares for 106 children aged 1 to 5 and is the ‘first hub-type public workplace daycare center.’

A hub-type public workplace daycare center is a daycare established by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and operated by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service to address childcare blind spots for workers in small and micro enterprises.

Among the 106 children currently enrolled at the Gangseo Daycare Center, 92 (87%) are children of workers in small businesses, non-regular workers, and micro self-employed individuals. To reduce the childcare burden for dual-income parents who often work night shifts and workers on weekend shifts, the center provides night care, Saturday care, and hourly care services.

In the case of hourly care, the center has the largest number of classes nationwide with 3 classes and a capacity of 9 children, with an average daily usage of 15 to 20 children. It is known to have the highest utilization rate in Seoul and very high parental satisfaction.

The center has made every effort to create a safe and high-quality childcare environment, receiving certifications such as A grade in the daycare evaluation system, safe facility certification for daycare activity spaces, re-selection as an excellent open daycare center for two consecutive years, selection as an excellent daycare center in Gangseo-gu in 2021, selection as an excellent daycare center in Seoul in 2022, first prize in the 2022 Seoul city contest, and excellence award in the 2023 Seoul city contest.

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service has been establishing and operating daycare centers nationwide since 1996, starting with the Changwon Daycare Center. It currently operates 37 daycare centers, serving about 3,800 children with regular childcare as well as various specialized programs such as hourly care, after-school care, night extension care, and care for children with disabilities, acting as a regional hub public childcare institution.

To promote quality workplace childcare, installation costs are provided free of charge to employment insurance-registered workplaces that establish workplace daycare centers. If small businesses jointly establish a workplace daycare center, they can receive up to 2 billion KRW (90% of the required cost) in support. Additionally, monthly support is provided for personnel expenses such as childcare teachers and operating costs, supporting the operation of over 1,300 workplace daycare centers nationwide.

President Jong-gil Park said, "We will do our best to eliminate childcare blind spots, introduce excellent childcare programs, and carry out preventive activities for the safety of children and staff, creating a safe childcare environment that working parents can trust and rely on."

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