Jongno-gu, led by District Mayor Yoo Chan-jong, is strengthening community partnerships to raise awareness of life-respect values among children and youth, while continuing tailored mental health programs for students and parents.
The district will hold a public lecture titled "If You Could Teach a Child Just One Thing, Make It Self-Regulation" on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the civil defense education hall of the Wellness Center on Yulgok-ro 89.
The event is designed to help teachers, practitioners and parents guide children in managing themselves effectively amid relentless competition and the pressures of a digital-saturated environment.
The lecture will be delivered by Jeon Ji-young, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Seoul National University. She will cover two sessions: "Self-Regulation — the Greatest Weapon in a Child's Life" and "How to Build Self-Regulation in Children." Residents wishing to attend may register by calling the Jongno-gu Mental Health and Welfare Center.
The district is also taking its programs into schools. Life-respect school sessions will be held Wednesday at Deokseong Girls' High School and Friday at Gyeongbok High School and Daesin Middle School. The initiative aims to work with schools to identify early signs of depression, anxiety disorders and adjustment disorders among students, and to prevent youth suicide before it occurs.
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, the district is also holding the "Jongno-gu Life-Respect Art Contest." Participants are invited to submit drawings conveying the value of life and a suicide-prevention message to the Jongno-gu Mental Health and Welfare Center — in person, by mail or by email — by 6 p.m. on Sept. 13. Results will be announced Oct. 8. Winning works will be used in campaign materials and promotional items such as clear file folders and pouches.
The district is also investing in inter-agency coordination. On Aug. 14, Deputy District Mayor Lee Jun-hyeong chaired the first meeting of the Youth Life Protection Regional Safety Network Council at the district office's multipurpose hall. Officials from Jongno-gu, Yongsan-gu and the Jungbu District Office of Education attended, agreeing to share youth suicide prevention initiatives and related case studies across their jurisdictions on a regular basis.
"From educational forums and school programs to inter-agency partnerships, we will do our best to embrace the mental well-being of every child and young person in Jongno," District Mayor Yoo said.
If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare's helpline 1393, available 24/7. Please request a translator for English-language services.
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