Kim Dong-yeon Visits Ansan Daycare Center... "Over 170 Public Daycare Centers Built Annually"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon (left) visited the municipal Daedeok Daycare Center in Ansan on the 29th, held a meeting, and then took a photo with daycare center officials. Photo by Gyeonggi Provincial Government

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated that a dense social safety net and welfare are necessary especially when the economic situation is difficult, and pledged to focus on improving childcare environments, including expanding public daycare centers.

On the 29th, Governor Kim visited the 'Municipal Daedeok Daycare Center' in Wongok-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan City, to inspect the daycare facilities and listen to the opinions of parents and childcare officials.

At the event, Governor Kim said, "I have always been very interested in education issues. Since managing national finances, I personally created the childcare allowance and have paid great attention to daycare centers," adding, "Now that I am governor, one of the most important things is public daycare centers, and we plan to raise the public childcare utilization rate to 50%."

In response to a parent's question about measures against the government's budget cuts for public daycare centers, he emphasized, "Gyeonggi Province is increasing the budget (contrary to the government). When the economic situation is difficult, a dense safety net and welfare for vulnerable groups who are first exposed to hardships are necessary."

He particularly noted, "While maintaining a sound budget as the current government claims is meaningful and a direction to pursue in the mid to long term, I believe the government’s finances should be more proactive now," adding, "Although the central government has cut the budget for senior employment next year, Gyeonggi Province plans to increase it beyond this year's level."

Furthermore, he said, "Gyeonggi Province aims to create a community of coexistence first," promising, "We will take the lead ahead of any other local or central government."

Before the parent meeting on the same day, Governor Kim observed a class with 5-year-old children at the daycare center and volunteered as an assistant teacher for making 'Yuja-cheong' (citron honey), spending time communicating with the children.

According to the revised Infant and Childcare Act, public daycare centers must be mandatorily installed in newly built apartment complexes with 500 or more households. From 2018 to 2021, Gyeonggi Province installed a total of 622 public daycare centers, of which 490 were mandatory installations in newly built apartment complexes with 500 or more households, accounting for 78.8%.

Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province plans to install public daycare centers mainly in declining old downtown general residential areas and apartment complexes with 300 or more households, such as Wongok-dong where the Municipal Daedeok Daycare Center is located.

The province has set a goal to expand more than 170 public daycare centers annually and raise the public childcare (public, social welfare corporation, workplace, and public-type daycare centers) utilization rate to 50% by 2026.