Participants explore how parental language shapes child development, sharing wisdom on communication and healthy parenting
Naju city organized a learning event to examine how parental speech and communication affect children's growth, giving expectant parents and those raising infants, toddlers and school-age children a space to reflect on healthy parenting practices.
The city recently hosted a special lecture by author Kim Jong-won at the main auditorium of Dongshin University's Innovation Convergence Campus in Bitgaram-dong, as part of the "2026 Aissugsug Library Project Author Invitation Parent Lecture" series, the city announced Wednesday.
The lecture was organized as part of the Aissugsug Library Project — the first reading-based prenatal and early childhood support program of its kind in South Jeolla Province and Gwangju — and drew about 120 attendees, including expectant parents, parents of infants and toddlers, and school parents.
Kim, the featured speaker, is the author of "Parents' Words," selected as the 2026 Aissugsug package book for caregivers. He has written more than 130 books and is active in the fields of parenting education and humanities education.
Centering his talk on the message that "a parent's words shape a child's entire life," Kim drew on a range of examples to explain what kind of language and attitude parents should adopt to help children think for themselves and express their thoughts in speech and writing.
He also presented various everyday situations parents encounter with their children, highlighting the importance of context-specific communication strategies that allow parents to understand and respect a child's feelings while guiding them in the right direction.
"A parent's words are like the garden in which a child grows," Kim said. "Only when parents can truly read their child's heart can they offer words that give the child strength."
He added that parental love must not stop at giving — it must reach the child, and expressing that love through words and actions, so the child can actually feel it, is what matters.
Following the lecture, a question-and-answer session and book signing drew enthusiastic participation, with attendees sharing their parenting concerns and questions.
One parent raising two children — a kindergartner and an elementary school student — said she had long admired Kim's books and had been copying out passages as she read them. "I really wanted to hear him speak in person, so I came with my husband," she said.
Another attendee raising three young children said the line that resonated most was: "Many people can find a child's faults, but it is the parents who can find their strengths." She added, "It made me think I should use more positive, possibility-opening words with my children — I gained real insight into raising them."
Naju city said the lecture helped parents develop a deeper understanding of their children's feelings and behavior, and learn practical communication skills they can apply in daily life.
"We hope this lecture helped parents understand their children's hearts, communicate with warmth, and build their own sound parenting philosophy," a city official said. "We will continue to expand practical support programs — including reading-based parenting initiatives and parent education — so that children and parents can grow happily together, and make Naju a great place to raise children."
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