Former President Minkyung Sun Unveils Blueprint for Goyang Educational City: "The City Must Be Redesigned Around Children's Daily Routes"

Minkyung Sun, Former President of Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation
"Making Goyang a City Where Every Child Is Happy"
Sincere Listening Among Goyang’s Educational Stakeholders

A forum was held to directly listen to voices from the field in order to design the future of education in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

Minkyung Sun, former president of Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation, is speaking at the "Listening Forum for Creating an Educational City" on the 15th, themed "An Educational City Where Every Child Is Happy."

The "Listening Forum for Creating an Educational City," themed "An Educational City Where Every Child Is Happy," was held on the 15th at the Hangang Hall of Hanyang Bookstore's Juyeop branch in Ilsanseo-gu. More than 30 experts and stakeholders from Goyang's educational field, ranging from early childhood education to alternative education, including Minkyung Sun, former president of Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation, participated in the event and engaged in heated discussions.

Unlike conventional presentations, the forum adopted a "listening" format, focusing on hearing the real concerns of field experts.

Lee Junghwan, Secretary General of the Goyang School Management Council, and Kim Taehyung, President of the Goyang City Parents' Association, who were presenters, each emphasized the importance of "establishing practical education governance" and "creating a safe educational environment and an organic care system."

Woo Myung-hye, President of the Goyang Private Kindergarten Association, proposed public cooperation in early childhood education, while Seol Seok-hwan, former principal of Jeongbal High School, and Lee Sohyun, member of the Goyang Free School Management Committee, identified "innovation in the curriculum and respect for diversity beyond entrance exam-oriented education" as key tasks.

Particularly, there was growing concern among participants about the reduction in Goyang's education budget. An elementary school teacher from the field pointed out, "The proportion of the education budget in Goyang's total budget has been halved, dropping from 3.01% in 2021 to 1.67% in 2025," and called for bold investment in future generations.

The presenters included: ▲Lee Junghwan, Secretary General of the Goyang School Management Council ▲Kim Taehyung, President of the Goyang City Parents' Association ▲Woo Myung-hye, President of the Goyang Private Kindergarten Association ▲Seol Seok-hwan, former principal of Jeongbal High School ▲Lee Sohyun, member of the Goyang Free School Management Committee, each sharing their field experiences and addressing the realities and challenges of education.

President Kim Taehyung stated, "Parents want an environment where children can grow up safely and happily, beyond mere academic competition," and added, "Care, after-school, and career education should be organically connected between schools and the local community."

Minkyung Sun, former president of Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation and former chairman of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council's Education Committee, who has served as an expert in educational administration, drew attention at the forum by presenting an "integrated perspective" that connects education to overall urban policy.

Minkyung Sun, former president of Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation, is speaking at the "Listening Forum for Creating an Educational City" on the 15th, themed "An Educational City Where Every Child Is Happy."

Former president Sun emphasized, "The moment education goes beyond the school walls, it becomes the responsibility of the city," and stressed the need for a paradigm shift to redesign transportation systems and care infrastructure around children's daily routes and growth processes.

As specific action plans, he proposed: ▲strengthening pedestrian safety around schools ▲introducing student-friendly public transportation ▲linking after-school mobility and care ▲transforming local libraries and bookstores into educational hubs, stating, "A true 'educational city' is only realized when education, transportation, and housing are not separate but are interconnected within children's lives."

He further suggested, "Strengthening pedestrian safety around schools, student-friendly public transportation, connecting after-school mobility and care, and utilizing local libraries, bookstores, and cultural spaces as educational hubs are all immediately actionable educational city policies," presenting concrete ideas.

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