Jongno-gu opens rebuilt Cheongwun Starlight Daycare Center amid urban forest

Jongno-gu held an opening ceremony Wednesday for the newly rebuilt Cheongwun Starlight Daycare Center, which has served young children in the district for more than four decades since it first opened in 1983.

The project broke ground in November 2019 to improve child safety and upgrade care conditions, with all construction recently completed.

The original building, constructed in 1983, had received a D safety rating and suffered from such low electrical capacity that running air conditioners in the children's rooms left other areas without power. "In summer, if we turned on the air conditioning in the spaces the children used, the voltage was so low that we couldn't run air conditioners in the kitchen or the staff lounge," said Han Yeon-hui, director of the Cheongwun Starlight Daycare Center. "When it rained heavily, water would sometimes leak in as well," she added.

Jongno-gu drew up plans for a new facility in 2019 and broke ground last March. The old building will be demolished after the move is complete, and the site will be redeveloped as a green space for residents.

The new building has a total floor area of 574.71 square meters, with one below-ground and one above-ground floor, and was designed to blend with the scenic surroundings of Cheongwun Park. The interior reflects current trends in early childhood care, featuring a multipurpose playroom where children can run freely, age-specific classrooms and an ecological activity space connected to the outdoor park.

Child safety was the top priority throughout, with eco-friendly materials used extensively. Advanced heating, cooling and ventilation systems ensure a comfortable indoor environment year-round.

"I am delighted that a meaningful space that has long supported childcare in this community has been reborn as a new home where children can dream even bigger," district mayor Yu Chan-jong said. "We will continue to devote every effort to building a solid childcare foundation where children can grow up safely and parents can entrust them with confidence."