Jeong Seok-woong, Jeonnam Superintendent of Education, Orders Production of COVID-19 White Paper

Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Jeonnam Education Office, is presiding over the expanded executive meeting. Photo by Jeonnam Office of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam, instructed the production of a ‘COVID-19 White Paper’ to prepare for an unpredictable tomorrow.

Superintendent Jang Seok-woong said at the expanded executive meeting on the morning of the 1st, “We have directly experienced numerous unpredictable situations such as school closures, online school openings, and in-person school openings, and despite that, the Jeonnam Office of Education has responded swiftly and relatively well,” adding, “Please create a white paper that contains everything about the COVID-19 response.”

He continued, “I hope that various situation responses, policy cases, and exemplary cases are well documented and organized in the form of a white paper,” and added, “The reason our country has been recognized for exemplary COVID-19 response is because we properly summarized the lessons from the MERS outbreak and created manuals through a white paper.”

He emphasized, “Since it is uncertain when the COVID-19 infection will end or resurge, we must prepare in advance by creating a white paper, evaluations, and corresponding response manuals.”

Superintendent Jang said, “Experts say that the cause of COVID-19 is humans damaging nature and destroying the ecological environment, which resulted in the emergence of harmful viruses and weakened natural immunity,” and added, “The upcoming June 5th ‘World Environment Day’ is a meaningful day in many respects due to COVID-19.”

He further stated, “The world recognizes the seriousness of global warming and is establishing various international organizations and holding international conferences related to reducing carbon dioxide,” and revealed, “Our country, centered on Jeonnam Province and Yeosu, the EXPO host city, is striving to attract the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the southern coast’s southern central region.”

Superintendent Jang said, “We need to ecologically reorganize schools and present practical tasks that can be done together with children,” and requested, “On Environment Day, I hope related institutions such as the Future Talent Division and Suncheon Bay Ecological Culture Education Center provide educational materials so that various forms of education can be conducted both online and offline.”