"Heatwave Response"... 426 Ice Makers Supplied to Jeonnam School Cafeterias

Quick Response from the Provincial Office of Education to Kim Jinnam's Request
426 Ice Makers to Be Supplied to School Cafeterias Across Jeonnam
A Model Case of Policy Consensus Through Collaboration Between Assembly Member, Provincial Office, and Cafeteria Workers

The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education has responded swiftly to the request by Kim Jinnam, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea, Suncheon 5), to improve the working conditions of school meal kitchens during the heatwave. As a result, 426 ice makers will be supplied to school cafeterias throughout the province.

On July 16, Kim visited the cafeteria at Geumdang High School in Suncheon, where he relayed a cafeteria worker's comment that they "freeze ice at home before coming to work." He raised the need for equipment to respond to heatwaves in school kitchens. Just one week later, on July 23, following a comprehensive survey of all school cafeterias in the province, the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education decided to install ice makers.

Kim Jinnam, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly, is inspecting the working conditions of school meal cooks preparing meals during the heatwave. Provided by Jeonnam Provincial Assembly

The distribution of ice makers targets 388 schools out of 760 in the Jeonnam region, excluding 377 schools that already have ice makers or do not wish to have them installed. Some schools will receive two units, resulting in a total of 426 ice makers being supplied.

Kim stated, "The labor of cafeteria workers is directly connected to providing children with healthy meals," and evaluated the installation of ice makers as "not simply a matter of providing equipment, but a starting point for realizing educational welfare." He also pointed out that "cooling vests or cool scarves distributed to some schools have limited effectiveness due to fire hazards and other concerns," emphasizing the urgent need for support focused on equipment that provides tangible help on the ground.

He further stressed, "Now that the climate crisis has become a part of daily life, all future policies must start from a new framework that responds to extreme weather such as heatwaves, heavy rain, and cold snaps."

This measure is being highlighted as a model case of policy consensus, resulting from the organic collaboration between the assembly member's site visit and issue-raising, the swift judgment and implementation by the provincial office of education, and the vivid voices of frontline cafeteria workers.

One cafeteria worker said, "I thought our requests would simply be heard and forgotten, but I was moved to see the issue resolved right away. I am grateful to Superintendent Kim Daejung and Assembly Member Kim Jinnam for their great help in solving this problem."