Mayor Shin Sangjin of Seongnam: "Improving Awareness Among Future Generations Is Key to Overcoming the Low Birth Rate Crisis"

Seongnam City Launches In-Service Training for Population Education Instructors

Customized Population Education Program Begins for 628 Elementary, Middle, and High School Classes

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Shin Sangjin) announced on March 13 that it has begun in-service training for population education instructors in order to enhance the professionalism and effectiveness of the "Education to Improve Awareness of Low Birth Rates" program, which is offered to elementary, middle, and high school students.

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sangjin is delivering a greeting on the 13th while attending the "Reinforcement Training for Instructors of Population Education to Improve Low Birthrate Awareness in Elementary, Middle, and High Schools." Provided by Seongnam City

This training is being conducted over a total of three days—March 13, 14, and 21—at Yatap Youth Center for 66 population education instructors affiliated with Seongnam City. The program consists of an intensive 30-hour curriculum, including 20 hours of group training and 10 hours of self-directed study.

On the first day, March 13, the schedule featured a special lecture by an expert to help participants gain a fundamental understanding of population issues, as well as an in-depth session on teaching methods for the elementary school curriculum. The focus was on strengthening instructors’ practical skills so they can lead interactive classes tailored to students’ developmental stages and perspectives.

In particular, Mayor Shin Sangjin of Seongnam City visited the training site in person on this day to encourage the instructors undergoing the refresher training, highlighting the importance of education aimed at improving awareness to help overcome the low birth rate crisis. He also referenced the "Seongnam City Low Birth Rate Solution," which was featured globally in an interview with Bloomberg TV in April 2025, stating, "The responsibility and role of instructors meeting students in the field are more important than ever for the sustainable future of Korea."

On March 14, the program will include practical training and demonstrations for the elementary school curriculum to boost on-site application skills, followed by training and practice on teaching methods for the middle school curriculum. On the final day, March 21, instructors will participate in curriculum practice by school level, as well as final lecture demonstrations and evaluations, in order to ensure that they can maintain high educational quality in actual classes.

After completing this training, Seongnam City will officially launch its educational program for elementary, middle, and high schools in the city from April through December. A total of 608 classes have already signed up. Starting this year, a new course tailored to first and second graders in elementary school will be introduced, with 20 additional classes, bringing the total to 628 classes that will receive customized education.

The most notable feature of Seongnam City’s population education is its "student-centered, participatory content." Instead of traditional lectures, the program utilizes board games and real-life problem-solving learning methods, which have been very well received by students. Through this approach, students are able to enjoy and naturally understand the somewhat heavy topic of demographic changes as if they were playing a game.

Seongnam City is conducting retraining for instructors of population education aimed at improving low birthrate awareness among elementary, middle, and high school students on the 13th. Provided by Seongnam City

A Seongnam City official stated, "Through this refresher training, we will further enhance the professionalism of our instructors so that students can develop a balanced perspective on the value of family, marriage, and childbirth. We will take the lead in fostering healthy values, improving the quality of life for citizens, and building a sustainable local community."

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