North Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly holds 143rd Youth Parliament class

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly held its 143rd Youth Parliament class Tuesday in the main chamber, welcoming 22 students from Ganggu Middle School in Yeongdeok-gun.

Second- and third-year students from the school spent the day stepping into the role of provincial assembly members, proposing agenda items, engaging in questions and debate, and casting votes electronically — experiencing the full workings of a local legislative body.

During three-minute open-floor speeches, students shared their views on a range of topics, including a call to stop illegal dumping, a proposal to use vacant homes in Yeongdeok-gun for a "one-month rural living" program, and ideas for addressing illegally parked vehicles on sidewalks.

They then held spirited debates on two ordinance bills they had drafted themselves — one calling for the installation of sidewalks within Yeongdeok-gun and another seeking tougher penalties for juvenile crime.

Provincial Assembly member Hwang Jae-cheol, who represents the Yeongdeok area, attended the event and encouraged the students. "I hope today becomes a meaningful occasion for you to think about issues in your community and explore ways to solve them as assembly members," he said.