Gwangjin-gu, led by District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho, held an appointment ceremony Saturday for its 2026 Children's Participation Committee, officially launching the fourth generation of the body as part of the district's child-friendly city initiative.
The Children's Participation Committee operates under the Child Welfare Act and a Gwangjin-gu ordinance on building a child-friendly city. It serves as a communication channel through which children can voice opinions on policies and projects that affect them and take part in local community decision-making.
About 30 people attended the ceremony, including the 14 newly selected elementary and middle school student members, outstanding members from last year's committee, and parents. The event featured the presentation of appointment certificates and commendations, followed by a children's rights education session and an orientation.
The members will carry out a range of activities over the coming year to promote children's rights and policy participation. From July through October, they will receive training in children's policy monitoring and conduct on-site inspections of child-related facilities and environments in the district to identify areas needing improvement. Their policy ideas, developed from a child's perspective, will be compiled and presented at a results showcase in November, with the aim of incorporating them into district administration.
Since establishing the committee in 2023, Gwangjin-gu has run it annually to expand children's opportunities for policy participation. Last year, members directly inspected children's parks and playgrounds and identified 11 policy agenda items, including proposals for safer school commute routes, better safety management of park facilities, and improvements to child-centered play spaces.
Going forward, the district plans to continue operating the committee alongside a range of other child-friendly initiatives — including a Children's Rights Week event, children's rights education programs, and a traveling play festival — as it works to uphold children's rights and broaden their participation as a UNICEF Child-Friendly City.
"It is a deeply meaningful experience for children to understand their own rights and directly propose ideas as members of the community," District Mayor Kim said. "We will actively support the committee's proposals so they can be reflected in actual district policy."
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