Yongin Mayor Steps Up as Problem Solver to Improve School Educational Environment

Securing Elevator Funding for Students with Disabilities at Yongin Middle School Science Hall
Mayor Lee Sangil: "We Will Continue Efforts to Address Challenges in Education"

Yongin Middle School, located in Kimryangjangdong, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, constructed a five-story 'Science Hall' in 2005, which is used for science labs, technology rooms, music rooms, and similar purposes.

However, an issue arose during the building's operation. Because there was no elevator, students with disabilities have experienced difficulties using the building.

Yongin Middle School in Kimryangjangdong, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, where an elevator is planned to be installed for students with disabilities. Lee Sangil, Mayor of Yongin, accepted the school's request and actively negotiated with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and Yongin Office of Education, securing a budget of 600 million won for the elevator installation. Provided by Yongin City

It was Lee Sangil, Mayor of Yongin, who took action to resolve this issue that had persisted for nearly 20 years. During a meeting with local school principals, Mayor Lee learned about these challenges and, starting late last year, began coordinating with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and the Yongin Office of Education. As a result, he secured a budget allocation of 300 million won for elevator installation earlier this year.

However, the elevator installation, which seemed to be resolved, encountered another obstacle. Due to the building's structure, an extension was unavoidable in order to install the elevator. Mayor Lee and the city once again persuaded the education office. Eventually, the education office agreed to provide an additional 300 million won in funding and included it in the first supplementary budget.

The city also worked closely with the education office to ensure that design services could be initiated proactively, preventing construction delays due to the extension. As a result, they ensured that the construction could be completed within the year.

Mayor Lee stated, "We have been working closely with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and the Yongin Office of Education to ensure that students with disabilities can receive education without inconvenience." He added, "I would like to thank both education offices for understanding the school's circumstances and deciding to provide budget support." Mayor Lee also said, "We will continue our efforts to alleviate inconveniences or difficulties in the educational field."

Since 2023, Mayor Lee has been dedicated to improving educational conditions by holding 13 meetings each year with principals of elementary, middle, and high schools and representatives of parents. Since last year, officials from the Yongin Office of Education have also participated in these meetings.

Over the past two years, the city has received a total of 853 suggestions through these meetings. Of these, the city has completed or is currently addressing 512 suggestions, which accounts for 60% of the total.

Starting this month, Mayor Lee is holding a series of meetings with principals of all schools in the city, including special schools, and in the fall, he plans to meet with representatives of parents to hear directly from the field.

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