Yoon Orders Full Support for Neulbom School from Government... "Core of National Care System"

Presiding Over Cabinet Meeting at Government Sejong Complex
Strengthening Safety Including Construction Site Management Near Schools
Strict Institutional Response Ordered for Malicious Complaints
Dedicated Investigator Assigned to School Violence Cases

President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized on the 6th that "Neulbom School is the core of the 'National Care System' promoted by our government" and stressed that all efforts must be made for its success.

In his opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day, President Yoon said, "With the start of the new semester this week, Neulbom School has officially begun at 2,741 elementary schools nationwide."

He also mentioned that it is important to promptly resolve issues arising on the ground to ensure early stabilization for the success of Neulbom School. President Yoon stated, "I understand that there are difficulties in preparing Neulbom School due to varying circumstances depending on the region or school. Since it is the initial phase of implementation, there may be shortcomings. Even if there are deficiencies at the moment, we must supplement them and establish the 'National Care System.'"

He continued, "In the second half of this year, we will expand to all first graders in elementary schools, next year to second graders, and from 2026, we will steadily implement it across all elementary school grades."

For children's safety, he ordered strengthened management of hazardous facilities such as construction sites around schools, as well as crackdowns on illegal parking and speeding in school zones.

In particular, he urged the Ministry of Education to continuously monitor the implementation status of the new teacher protection system and school violence handling procedures, which will be enforced from the first semester of this year. President Yoon emphasized, "To ensure that teachers do not have to endure unfair complaints alone, institutional response teams will be activated, and malicious complaints will be dealt with strictly."

He added, "If teachers experience infringement of their rights, they can immediately report it via the direct hotline 1395. In cases of legal disputes or accidents during educational activities, litigation costs and liability for damages will also be supported. Investigations of school violence cases will be handled by dedicated investigators rather than teachers, and School Police Officers (SPOs) will participate in school violence committees to ensure fair handling of cases nationwide."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, regarding the 'Freedom Shield (FS)' South Korea-U.S. joint exercise starting this week, he said, "Along with joint maneuver exercises and responding to North Korea's nuclear threats, we will conduct training to respond to complex situations such as cyberattacks, gray zone provocations, and fake news dissemination." He introduced, "In a situation where North Korea's provocations to shake our society are highly likely ahead of the general election, this exercise will confirm the firm joint defense posture of the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

He instructed that all ministries closely cooperate centered on the Ministry of National Defense and provide necessary support to successfully complete this joint exercise, which involves 12 United Nations Command member countries.

He also highlighted achievements made through the amendment of the Enforcement Decree of the Terminal Distribution Act, financial support for small business owners and self-employed individuals, and the public discussion forum on livelihood issues. President Yoon said, "At today's meeting, the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Terminal Distribution Act, which was discussed as a measure to reduce communication costs at the 'Regulatory Reform' public discussion forum on January 22, will be presented." He mentioned, "With the removal of barriers that hindered marketing competition, competition among telecom companies to attract customers will be revitalized, and consumer welfare is expected to increase."

Regarding financial support for small business owners and the self-employed, he said, "The government and financial institutions have come together to prepare a total of 2.9 trillion won in interest reduction measures. The banking sector has refunded 1.36 trillion won in interest, and the government has also started supplying 500 billion won in refinancing loans to ease the burden." He added, "Through special support for electricity bills for small business owners, up to 200,000 won will be discounted from this month's electricity bill."

He further added, "Regarding cases where minors were deceived into selling alcohol and cigarettes improperly, administrative sanctions exemption measures were immediately implemented upon hearing the unfair stories of self-employed individuals."

He also urged the Cabinet members, "There are still many remaining tasks, and we will hear many new issues in the upcoming public discussion forums on livelihood issues. I ask each ministry to accelerate efforts so that problems raised on the ground can be resolved as soon as possible."

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