Choi Hojung, Chairperson of Seoul Metropolitan Council, Talks with 5th Generation University Student Interns

Chairman Choi Hojung: "Hope it can be proposed as a Seoul City policy"
5th City Council Internship Program linked with 15 universities
Youth-led participation project recognized for academic credit

Choi Ho-jeong, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, held a meeting on the 24th at the Chairperson's Reception Room in the main council building with 19 interns from the 5th Seoul Metropolitan Council University Student Internship Program.

During the meeting, each intern briefly introduced themselves and shared their motivation for participating in the internship. The session proceeded with an encouragement speech from Chairperson Choi, followed by a Q&A session between the interns and Chairperson Choi, and concluded with a commemorative photo.

First, Chairperson Choi expressed pride in meeting young people curious about the process of local autonomy and policy formation, saying that she learned a lot from hearing the interns’ motivations.

After the encouragement speech, a Q&A session followed regarding the development of local councils and the role of the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

When intern Ko Ga-yeon from Kyung Hee University asked Chairperson Choi about her background in choosing a political career and the social issue she is most interested in, Choi shared, “My political life did not start with grand dreams, but rather, my dreams have grown since I began my political journey.” She added that her recent focus is on the ‘Neulbom School’ issue, which is an alternative for balancing work and family life, and stated that if education and childcare are integrated, our society will take a positive step forward.

When intern Kim Tae-hee from Sangmyung University asked what makes the Seoul Metropolitan Council unique compared to other local councils, Chairperson Choi explained, “It is true that the Seoul Metropolitan Council plays a leading role in various fields compared to other local councils.” She noted that Seoul’s council is the first among local councils to conduct a hearing process when appointing representatives of six affiliated institutions.

Intern Yoon Yi-won from Duksung Women’s University asked about Chairperson Choi’s view on focusing on everyday politics, as mentioned in an interview with Yonhap News. Choi responded, “Local councils are very closely connected to citizens’ lives and are the frontline institutions for the public. Everyday politics is not something grandiose but means listening to and continuously hearing citizens’ opinions.”

Intern Yang Da-yeon from Hansung University requested advice on how to approach her policy research project titled ‘Policy Improvement Measures for Revitalizing Seoul’s Medical Tourism Industry’ to be of some help to citizens. Chairperson Choi replied, “Basically, I would advise methods such as current status investigation, identifying problems, and proposing alternatives. However, I am still learning about the work of each committee, so I cannot provide specific measures right now, but after a few months, I believe I will be able to show a better version of myself. Let’s study together.”

Finally, intern Moon Ga-hyun from Sookmyung Women’s University expressed her opinion, saying, “I am glad about the Chairperson’s interest in reliable public care related to low birth rates, but I hope the Seoul Metropolitan Council will take a leading role not only in public care but also in adjusting working hours and creating diverse work environments to balance work and family life.” Chairperson Choi responded that the council will conduct an in-depth review of ways to promote the use of parental leave and childcare guidance time starting from the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

Wrapping up the Q&A session, Chairperson Choi encouraged the interns, saying, “I hope your policy research projects will be deeply studied and developed into Seoul city policies. Although the internship is only six weeks long, I hope the experience here will become a valuable asset for your future.”

The 5th University Student Internship Program is a project operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Council in collaboration with 15 universities located in Seoul.

The 15 universities participating in this program are Kookmin University, Ewha Womans University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul Women’s University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Kwangwoon University, Kyung Hee University, Hongik University, Sookmyung Women’s University, Sangmyung University, Samyook University, Chung-Ang University, Hanyang University, Duksung Women’s University, and Hansung University. The 19 selected interns will research 19 policy tasks proposed by 19 Seoul Metropolitan Council members during the six-week summer vacation and experience legislative activities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council internship program is the first youth-led participation project among metropolitan councils nationwide that provides university students with career exploration opportunities through field learning and practical training, and grants university credits. The internship consists of various programs such as orientation, policy task research, meetings with the chairperson, and field trips. Outstanding interns will be selected through various evaluations, including a policy idea presentation contest.

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