Mayor Joo Kwangdeok of Namyangju Hosts "Forest Day for Infants," Engages Directly with Children and Parents

On September 11, Namyangju City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Joo Kwangdeok) held "Forest Day for Infants" at the Byeoldongbyeol Infant Forest Experience Center in Byeolnae Central Park, where 100 families with infants and parents participated in a variety of forest experience programs.

Joo Kwangdeok, mayor of Namyangju City, is delivering a greeting at the "Forest Day for Young Children" event held on the 11th at Byeoldongbyeol Early Childhood Forest Experience Center in Byeolnae Central Park. Provided by Namyangju City

This event was designed as a policy experience program, allowing citizens to directly engage with the city's infant forest policies and deepen their understanding and empathy toward municipal administration.

"Infant Forest" is an educational space where children can freely play and experience nature in the forest. The city operates eight Infant Forest Experience Centers, providing a range of year-round programs that support children's development and contribute to family leisure activities.

During the event, seven experience booths, planned directly by certified infant forest instructors, were operated. Each booth focused on hands-on activities that foster autonomy and creativity. Experiences using natural materials such as forsythia and leaves collected on-site further enhanced the eco-friendly educational value.

In particular, the city has directly hired seven certified infant forest instructors to ensure professionalism in program operation. By doing so, the city has strengthened its in-house planning and operational capabilities, providing stable and efficient programs without relying on external contractors.

On this day, Mayor Joo Kwangdeok also held a town hall meeting at the event, where he met with infants and parents to listen to their opinions. During the town hall, Mayor Joo and citizens discussed the philosophy of infant forest education and the direction of child policies.

Mayor Joo Kwangdeok stated, "The bright smiles of children playing in nature are the standard of happiness our city pursues," adding, "We will continue to actively promote infant forest policies that infants and parents can relate to together."

Going forward, the city plans to continue promoting various forest welfare programs centered on the Infant Forest Experience Centers, such as expanding ecological education in nature, encouraging family participation, and sharing policies with citizens.

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