"The Mayor Served Us Dinner"... Mayor Lee Hyunjae Distributes Dinner at Hanam High School

Hanam City Visits Hanam High School to Support Dinner Program
Mayor Lee Hyunjae Encourages Students by Serving Meals Himself
Mayor Lee: "Eat Well and Stay Strong"

On July 21, Lee Hyunjae, mayor of Hanam, visited Hanam High School, the first site of the high school dinner support project, where he spent time directly communicating with and encouraging 12th-grade students.

Lee Hyunjae, mayor of Hanam, visited Hanam High School, the first site of the high school dinner support project, on the 21st and served meals to 12th-grade students. Provided by Hanam City

On this day, Mayor Lee, accompanied by Osungae, superintendent of the Gwangju Hanam Office of Education, visited the school cafeteria, where he personally served food to 12th-grade students preparing for college entrance exams and delivered words of encouragement.

Wearing an apron and a sanitary cap, he began serving meals with a smile, saying, "Today, I will be serving your meal," and his unexpected appearance brought both surprise and laughter to the students' faces.

The dinner menu that evening included boneless sujebi gamjatang (potato soup with hand-torn dough), tteokgalbi with green onion salad, spicy seasoned squid, seasoned mung bean sprouts, seokbakji (cubed radish kimchi), and homemade grapefruit honey black tea, making for a nutritious meal. As the aroma of hot soup and freshly cooked rice filled the air, the students' appetites were fully awakened.

Mayor Lee, as he served tteokgalbi to each student, said, "You are working so hard studying during this hot summer. Eat well and stay strong."

The students responded by saying, "The food will taste even better since the mayor served it," and took commemorative photos, creating a cheerful atmosphere.

After finishing the meal service, Mayor Lee spoke with students who had finished eating, reminiscing about his own school days.

Mayor Lee said, "When I was in 12th grade, my family was not well off, so I had to work to pay my tuition while studying. I endured by working to pay for college, and though it was not easy, the effort and perseverance I showed at that time changed my life." He went on to encourage the students, saying, "It may be tough right now, but this time will surely become the foundation for your future success."

This visit was organized to commemorate the first day of the high school dinner support project being implemented by Hanam City. Through the city's second supplementary budget this year, approximately 49.29 million won has been allocated to provide a dinner subsidy of 3,000 won per meal to 12th-grade students at general high schools participating in evening self-study sessions until the college entrance exam in November.

Previously, Hanam High School operated its dinner program at students' own expense, but starting with this initiative, the city budget will cover the cost of dinners. In addition, Pungsan High School and Misagangbyeon High School are expected to join the support project starting from the second semester.

Hanam City has reported that participation in evening self-study sessions has actually increased thanks to this support, and the city expects that this change will lead to improved academic performance and higher university admission rates.

Attending the meal service event that day were Osungae, superintendent of education, Jung Byungyong, vice chairman of Hanam City Council, Choi Hoonjong, chairman of the Urban Construction Committee, and Park Mijeong, president of the Hanam High School Parents' Association.

Lee Hyunjae, mayor of Hanam (fifth from the right), visited Hanam High School on the 21st and took a commemorative photo with Osungae, superintendent of education, Jung Byungyong, vice chairman of Hanam City Council, Choi Hoonjong, chairman of the Urban Construction Committee, and Park Mijeong, president of the Hanam High School Parents' Association, after serving meals to the 12th-grade students. Provided by Hanam City

Osungae, superintendent of education, said, "I am truly proud to see students studying so diligently today. To overcome the midsummer heat, it is important to eat well. Take care of your health, keep going until the end, and I hope you achieve your goals."

Mayor Lee said, "I heard that some students feel they cannot focus on their studies because even mealtime seems like a waste of time. I found that attitude admirable, which is why I actively promoted the dinner support project. I will continue to thoroughly inspect the sites and do my best to ensure the project is operated stably by reflecting the opinions of students, parents, and teachers."