Seungro Lee, Seongbuk-gu Mayor, Discusses Youth Topics with Kookmin University Students

Over 100 Students from Kookmin University Participate in On-site District Mayor's Office Discussion and Proposals on Youth Policy in Seongbuk-gu

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, “We will make greater efforts to help youth dreams come true in Seongbuk”

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) held the second session of the 2023 On-site District Mayor's Office Talk, titled “Let's Talk Openly,” on the 10th at the Democracy Square of Kookmin University (President Lim Hong-jae) with over 100 enrolled students, focusing on youth issues.

This on-site district mayor's office session broke away from the conventional rigid meeting or seminar formats and was conducted as a free-form discussion at Kookmin University’s Democracy Square, listening to the concerns of youth and university students and sharing opinions on youth issues and policies.

The event began by introducing Seongbuk-gu’s major youth policies divided into five areas: ▲Jobs ▲Housing ▲Finance & Welfare ▲Education & Culture ▲Participation & Spaces. This was followed by responses and discussions on nine proposals from Kookmin University students. The session concluded with a Q&A segment.

In the first part, a simple game was held before the proposal presentations to help students feel comfortable during the discussion. Through a video quiz, representative figures and history of Seongbuk, as well as youth facilities in Seongbuk-gu, were introduced, creating a lively atmosphere on site.

In the second part, proposal discussions included various suggestions such as the “Youth Workman” program for young people struggling with career choices, linking university student part-time jobs with public-private mentoring projects, cultural projects for university students through campus performances, and proposals addressing local issues like revitalizing the commercial areas around Kookmin University, known as the “underground world.” A Q&A session followed these diverse proposals.

On the 10th, Seongbuk-gu held the second session of "2023 On-Site District Mayor's Office Talk: Let's Speak Openly" at the Kookmin University Democracy Square, focusing on youth. It was a meaningful event where current Kookmin University students participated and voices of young people were attentively heard.

Especially during the Q&A, there was a suggestion to issue local love gift certificates usable only in the Jeongneung area to revitalize the commercial districts such as Gaewooljang and Jeongneung Market. It was agreed that various considerations would be made in the future issuance of local love gift certificates to seek solutions for improving the Jeongneung commercial zone.

Additionally, a student participating in the event mentioned the “Thousand-Won Breakfast” project, funded by Seongbuk-gu, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the school, which allows enrolled students to have breakfast for 1,000 won. The student said, “Thanks to Seongbuk-gu’s participation in the Thousand-Won Breakfast, I was able to have a hearty breakfast at an affordable price,” and expressed gratitude on this occasion.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “It was a meaningful opportunity to hear the sincere concerns of university students and youth,” adding, “We will continue to listen carefully to the voices of youth so that they do not lose their dreams and can nurture hope, and strive to translate these into policies.”

Meanwhile, the '2023 On-site District Mayor's Office Talk, Let's Talk Openly' has shifted from the previous neighborhood-based format to a thematic on-site district mayor's office where the mayor and residents engage in in-depth discussions on five major themes: child happiness, youth, community, welfare, and resident autonomy. The child happiness and youth sessions have been completed, and upcoming sessions on ▲Community (5/22) ▲Welfare (5/23) ▲Resident Autonomy (5/25) will be held in a direct discussion format at the Seoul Seongbuk Media Culture Maru Dream Light Theater.