Kim Dongyeon Meets Dodam School Students and Parents
at the Northern Nurim Center
Special Education Community Becomes the First Riders of the "Daldal Bus"
The first Gyeonggi Province residents to ride the "Daldal Bus" have emerged.
On the afternoon of the 26th, Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, visited Yangju City Gyeonggi Northern Nurim Center and took a commemorative photo with the attendees.
On the 26th, students and mothers from Dodam School met with Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, at the Gyeonggi Northern Welfare Support Center for the Disabled (Northern Nurim Center) in Yangju City. Dodam School is a special education institution for students with physical, intellectual, and autism spectrum disabilities.
Governor Kim Dongyeon visited the Northern Nurim Center today and met with artist Jung Sungwon, about ten students from Dodam School, and their mothers. This visit to the Nurim Center marked his return two years after the center's opening ceremony in 2023.
In his greeting, Governor Kim said, "I visited here exactly two years ago when it first opened, and I cannot express how happy I was to see such a wonderful hub for people with disabilities established in the northern region." The center consists of one basement level and four above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 6,520 square meters. It houses a variety of facilities, including the Gyeonggi Province Exhibition Hall for Products Made by People with Disabilities, the Gyeonggi Province Welfare Center for the Visually Impaired, the Gyeonggi Province Northern Assistive Device Center, the Gyeonggi Northern Disability Rights Advocacy Agency, the Gyeonggi Northern Support Center for Families of People with Disabilities, and the Gyeonggi Northern Braille Library.
Governor Kim shared, "Since I was born, I have only ever purchased two paintings. The first is a work by artist Hwang Jin-ho, and the second is by artist Lee Chang-ok. One was painted by an artist with developmental disabilities, and the other by an artist with intellectual disabilities. Both hang in my office."
He emphasized, "I hope you can recognize how sincere Gyeonggi Province is toward all people with disabilities, and how wholeheartedly we strive to be together with you." Governor Kim continued, "We want Gyeonggi Province to be a place where people with and without disabilities live the happiest lives together, free from discrimination. We also want to encourage everyone to come outside and not stay confined at home, which is why we created the 'Opportunity Income for People with Disabilities.' I am committed to building a world where people with and without disabilities thrive together."
The "Opportunity Income for People with Disabilities" program provides 100,000 won per month (1.2 million won per year) to people with severe disabilities aged 13 to 64 whose income is at or below 120% of the median income, if they verify health activities using a smartwatch twice a week. In 2023, 5,836 people participated; in 2024, the number was 10,904; and by June 2025, the cumulative number of participants will reach 27,031. Participant satisfaction was recorded at 86.7% last year.
There are other good examples that show Governor Kim's genuine commitment to people with disabilities beyond the opportunity income program.
Two years ago, on May 30, 2023, an exhibition of 30 works by the "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Creative Group" was held in the first-floor lobby of Gyeonggi Provincial Government. Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation had provided art education using artificial intelligence to people with developmental disabilities. The exhibition was dedicated to showcasing their work, making people with developmental disabilities the stars of the event. However, when it came time for the "ribbon-cutting" ceremony, people with disabilities were not included in the lineup.
On the afternoon of the 26th, Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, visited Yangju City Gyeonggi Northern Nurim Center and participated in an art experience with children. Photo by Lee Jonggu
Governor Kim Dongyeon spontaneously invited students with developmental disabilities to join him for the ribbon-cutting. Everyone was supposed to wear white gloves and cut the ribbon with scissors. However, for one student with disabilities, even putting on the gloves was a challenge. Governor Kim tried to help the student put on the gloves, but the student struggled and looked visibly uncomfortable. At that moment, Governor Kim said, "I will take off my gloves."
Governor Kim and the student then held the scissors together with their bare hands and cut the ribbon. The world Governor Kim envisions-where people with and without disabilities live well together-can be described as a society where everyone can take off their gloves together during such moments.
On this day, Governor Kim, students from Dodam School, and their parents participated in coloring an outline drawing of a fox by artist Jung Sungwon. Through the hands of Governor Kim, the students, and their mothers, the uncolored fox was transformed into a beautiful fox with orange, yellow, blue, and sky blue hues. When the mothers expressed their desire to ride the Daldal Bus, Governor Kim readily agreed, making the students and parents of Dodam School the very first Gyeonggi Province residents to experience the Daldal Bus.
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