Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is having a conversation with 70 student council presidents from 30 universities in the province on the 23rd in Pangyo.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon has actively communicated with young people since his time as president of Ajou University. At that time, President Kim Dong-yeon's ‘Brown Bag Meeting’ was an icon of communication. A brown bag refers to the ‘brown paper bag’ used to carry food from places like hamburger shops. A Brown Bag Meeting means a casual conversation time accompanied by a simple lunch.
President Kim Dong-yeon held conversations with enrolled students every two weeks or once a month over pizza and other food, and major suggestions were reflected in the university’s policy operations.
When Kim Dong-yeon was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, many posts appeared on the Facebook board ‘Ajou University Bamboo Forest,’ saying, "It was touching to see him working with students and respecting their wishes through various activities from the start of his presidency," and "I think we should send him off properly, but it’s regrettable."
On the 23rd, Governor Kim Dong-yeon met young people directly at the International Conference Hall of the Gyeonggi Creative Innovation Center in Pangyo, Seongnam.
The young people he met today were 70 student council presidents from 30 universities in the province. This was the first time since his inauguration as governor that he invited the ‘youth leaders’ of 30 universities in the province to one place.
Governor Kim Dong-yeon greeted them, saying, "Believe it or not, meeting our young people is the best time. I was a university president several years ago, and although there were many difficulties, I really enjoyed meeting our young people and students."
He then asked, "I have three official schedules ahead, so I just loosened my tie and took off my jacket comfortably. Is that okay?" and added, "Taking off my jacket means I want to have a comfortable and long conversation. I hope you treat this casually."
He continued, "Why should our young people be interested in policy? I think it is to be happy," adding, "Unfortunately, our society is currently making young people struggle a lot due to the background they were born and raised in, the color of the spoon they were born with in their mouth, the reality and social system where opportunities are not given even with hard work. Therefore, you need to change Korea, the social system, and policies so that there are more opportunities for you to be happy. Fundamentally, changing this involves political structure, economic management frameworks, and the education system."
Furthermore, he said, "To be happy yourselves and for your future generations, you must create a proper Korea. That is why you need to be interested in policy and raise your voices," expressing concern that "if you conform to the current system, structure, and framework, the current situation will continue."
Earlier, during his time as governor-elect, Kim Dong-yeon met young people at the Pocheon Art Valley Youth Lab and stated, "We will eliminate the gap between the rich and the poor in opportunities," and "I want to create more opportunities for our young people and hope that the given opportunities are distributed evenly."
In fact, Governor Kim Dong-yeon has devoted efforts to youth policies during his tenure. The results have gradually expanded and appeared as the ‘8th Gyeonggi Youth Opportunity Package’ under the civilian government. Major policies include ▲Gyeonggi Youth Ladder Program (200 students from 5 universities in 2023 → 270 students from 9 universities in 2024) ▲Gyeonggi Youth Gap Year (about 600 people in 2023 → about 800 people in 2024) ▲Opportunity Ladder Finance ▲Expansion of overseas employment and entrepreneurship opportunities ▲Overseas volunteer group ‘Gihweoda’ ▲Support for youth capacity-building opportunities.
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