"We Can't Carry the Bottled Water, and Can't Eat School Lunches"
Disappointed by the Lukewarm Response of Local Authorities
Elementary school students in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, where a state of disaster has been declared due to the worst drought, sent a letter directly to the President to express their hardships. Disappointed by the lukewarm response of local politicians, they conveyed their hope for a wise solution from the President.
Portion of a letter written to the Presidential Office by 6th-grade students of Unyang Elementary School in Gangneung. Yonhap News
On October 4, fifteen sixth-grade students from Unyang Elementary School in Gangneung delivered five handwritten letters, each student contributing one sentence, to President Lee Jaemyung. They originally intended to send the letters to Gangneung City Hall, but changed their minds and addressed them to the Office of the President, believing that the city authorities had not actively addressed the drought issue for a long time.
In their letters, the students expressed their trust by writing, "We believe the President will solve the problem wisely." They went on to list specific inconveniences they were experiencing at school and at home. They mentioned, "The bottled water distributed at school is too heavy for first graders to carry, so please consider a better delivery method," and "It is uncomfortable not being able to use the cafeteria and water dispensers," highlighting their real-life difficulties. They also described the struggles of parents running small businesses and made a clever suggestion: "Please consider issuing disaster relief coupons."
"We Would Never Elect Politicians Like This"
The students strongly criticized the mayor and members of the National Assembly for failing to respond in a timely manner as the drought crisis worsened. They pointedly remarked, "If we had the right to vote, we would never elect people who work like this," demonstrating their sharp perspective on politics.
They also made a concrete policy proposal, asking, "Please distinguish in detail between places that urgently need water and those that do not, and implement water rationing accordingly." At the end of the letter, they emphasized the importance of putting what they have learned into practice, saying, "We learned that it is important to care about local issues and express our thoughts to help solve them."
The homeroom teacher who sent the letters along with the students said, "Now that our letter has arrived, all that remains is for the President to read it himself," expressing hope that the students' sincere wishes would come true. The students concluded by saying, "If possible, we would like our entire class to meet the President, so please invite us."
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