[Suwan News = Yoon Byung-ik, Citizen Reporter] Today marks the 101st Children’s Day. On the 4th, President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the opening ceremony for the Children’s Garden, which was created in the courtyard of the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul. As he watched children happily running and playing, he cheered them on, pledging to work hard so that children can be happier and nurture their dreams.
However, for children under the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the slogan “May is Children’s Day, Our World” does not resonate deeply. On the contrary, under the Yoon administration, children are being pushed into the “blind spots” of policy. Just like the rainy weather on May 5, 2023, why is the future of today’s children not bright?
Since his election, President Yoon Suk-yeol has championed various policies, including: ▲ the introduction of a 1 million won monthly parental allowance; ▲ the expansion of parental leave and spousal maternity leave; ▲ support for infertility treatment costs and extended leave periods; and ▲ health and care services for mothers, fetuses, and infants. However, due to the current skyrocketing cost of living, the effectiveness of the 1 million won parental allowance has been called into question. Furthermore, with the Yoon administration pushing to introduce a “69-hour workweek,” working-age parents—who already struggle to take even their existing leave—cannot even consider having children or raising them.
Not only that, but policy support measures intended to benefit children—such as price reductions on milk to support their growth—are being abolished one after another, and with attempts to reform the educational system by lowering the school-entry age, parents are increasingly voicing concerns that children are being reduced to mere “tools” for increasing the labor force.
In addition, the area around the Children’s Garden, which opened on the 4th, was once used as a U.S. military base in South Korea, making the issue of environmental remediation a hot-button topic. The Democratic Party of Korea pointed out that soil and groundwater contamination levels in the opened area exceed the standards for park development, criticizing the government for using children’s health as a bargaining chip for political propaganda through a rushed soil remediation effort.
On May 5, 2023, Children’s Day, the weather was cloudy and rainy across the country. I can picture the disappointed expressions on the faces of many children who couldn’t go outside to play because of the weather. But isn’t the reason we cannot confidently offer comfort to those children due to the indifference of adults (especially “politicians”) and the resulting virtual absence—or even rollback—of policies that directly benefit children?
Yoon Byung-ik, Citizen Reporter
This article is part of our 2023 Children’s Day special feature and is the first in our series titled “Toward a Country That Puts Children First.” We look forward to your continued interest and support.
