Heartbreaking Tears Over Repeated Farewells with Island Workers' Children
"We will immediately handle what can be implemented and actively review improvements"
On the 15th, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Park Woo-ryang) held a meeting with about 90 female employees raising children with children in 6th grade or below.
According to the county on the 19th, this meeting was a time for female employees raising children to share their experiences, build consensus among all attendees, and jointly propose difficulties.
The shared difficulties everyone agreed on included the struggles during pregnancy, mothers losing their mornings due to rushing to work after dropping off their children at daycare or school, and heartbreaking tearful stories of employees working on islands repeatedly parting from their children who dislike the separation. Everyone empathized deeply.
Park Woo-ryang, the mayor of Sinan County, is listening to the difficulties of employees raising children. [Photo by Sinan County]
Following this, the proposals included not giving employees a hard time for using childcare time, installing parking spaces for pregnant women, allowing later start times due to child drop-off, accommodating work hours during festival support, and limiting work periods when assigned to islands so children can feel secure.
Governor Park Woo-ryang, who responded intermittently, promised regarding the proposal to not give employees a hard time for using childcare time, “I will ensure that department heads empathize with the difficulties of childcare and institutionalize measures so that employees can use childcare time comfortably,” receiving great cheers from attendees.
He also welcomed the enforcement of the “Sinan-gun Local Government Officials Service Ordinance,” which extended childcare time usage from age 5 to age 8, and proposed further extending childcare time usage to 6th grade.
Governor Park Woo-ryang showed tears and expressed regret, saying, “I am sorry. If I had created such a meeting earlier, we could have made a somewhat better environment by now.”
He continued, “I know well that our region faces more difficult conditions than anywhere else. So I am always grateful and sorry, but since we chose this, there are parts we must take responsibility for and endure,” and promised, “I will immediately handle what can be implemented within laws and systems based on the difficulties and ideas heard today, and actively review the contents that need improvement.”
He added, “Raising a child is not an individual’s responsibility alone; the organization one belongs to must also become a parent with the mindset to make the workplace happy for raising children, and I will do my best to achieve this.”
Meanwhile, recognizing the need for awareness improvement about childcare among both men and women, a meeting will also be held for male employees.
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