Dong-gu District of Incheon (Mayor Kim Chan-jin) has released the results of a research project outlining the policy direction for the third phase of its Child-Friendly City initiative, which will run from 2027 to 2030. On the 26th, Dong-gu held the "Final Report on the Research Project for the Child-Friendly City Child-Needs Survey and Development-Strategy Establishment" at the district office's Sonamu Hall, sharing a mid- to long-term blueprint for creating a city where the rights of every child are realized.
 [The Korean Today] Final report on the Dong-gu, Incheon, Child-Friendly City child-needs survey and development-strategy establishment research project © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The report session was held to compile the results of the research project, which was carried out over three months from March to June. Heads of child-related project divisions and institutions within the district office attended and exchanged views on local child policy as a whole. It carries significance in that it was a process aimed at identifying what children actually need and translating that into policy, rather than the administration designing projects unilaterally.
The research project consisted of two pillars. One was the "child-needs survey," which analyzed the requests of children gathered in last year's residents' opinion survey to determine priorities for what should be addressed first. The other was the "development-strategy establishment," which, based on those results, proposes project plans to be pursued going forward and links them to the third-phase (2027–2030) Child-Friendly City plan. In effect, it established a flow that confirms children's voices through surveys and gives them concrete form as actual projects.
Based on the results of this research project, Dong-gu plans to finalize the third-phase (2027–2030) Child-Friendly City plan in the second half of this year. The plan will serve as a benchmark for gauging the direction of Dong-gu's child policy over the next four years.
Behind Dong-gu's efforts to build a child-friendly city lies UNICEF certification. In August 2018, Dong-gu became the second district in Incheon to receive initial UNICEF Child-Friendly City certification, and in January 2023 it obtained upper-tier certification as well. It is now preparing for the renewal of its upper-tier certification, scheduled for 2027, and this research project is expected to serve as the foundation for that renewal.
Dong-gu Mayor Kim Chan-jin said, "We will actively use this research as an important resource that presents the direction for building a child-friendly city, and strive to successfully complete the renewal of our upper-tier UNICEF Child-Friendly City certification even after the launch of Jemulpo-gu."
With the launch of Jemulpo-gu planned under administrative-district restructuring, he expressed a commitment to maintaining continuity in child policy, and attention is focused on whether this planning effort will become an opportunity to elevate the local child-welfare system to the next level.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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