Yongin City, Only Municipality in Gyeonggi Province to Receive Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Park No-hun] Yongin Special City was selected as an outstanding municipality in the 'Creating a Child-Friendly Environment' category at the government awards commemorating the 101st Children's Day.

According to Yongin City on the 3rd, this award, which came with a commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare, was the only one among municipalities in Gyeonggi Province.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare grants this award by selecting outstanding municipalities that serve as models for others, comprehensively evaluating factors such as contributions to children's human rights, safety, rights, and welfare promotion, as well as social assessment, among municipalities certified as UNICEF Child Friendly Cities.

The city was certified as a Child Friendly City by UNICEF in 2020 and has been pursuing various projects for children's policy participation and rights protection.

In particular, it has built a city environment that is safe and happy for children by investing 25.9 billion won in initiatives such as the formation of a Children's Participation Committee, children's safety CCTV, and dream-achieving safety experience classrooms.

It received praise for being the first in the nation to build a joint response system involving the city, the Office of Education, the Yongin East and West Police Stations, Yongin Severance Hospital, and the Gyeonggi Yongin Child Protection Specialized Agency to respond quickly in the event of child abuse, as well as for forming 'Our Neighborhood Child Guardians' with voluntary resident participation, thereby contributing to the promotion of child welfare in the community.

It was also well regarded for its steady efforts to improve awareness of children's rights within the community through outreach children's rights education and participation in global campaigns to eradicate violence against children.

Four elementary school students in the district were also awarded the Minister's Commendation for Model Children and the Governor's Commendation.

Mo Han-byeol (6th grade) of Namsa Elementary School received the Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation, and three students—Lee Ha-yeon (6th grade) of Hanil Elementary School, Eom Ji-yun (4th grade) of Yongcheon Elementary School, and Jo Seong-su (4th grade) of Pogok Elementary School—received the Governor's Commendation.

Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il said, "I believe that a city where children are safe and a city where children can live well ultimately means a city where anyone can live well," adding, "We will strive to create Yongin as a child-friendly city where learning and child-rearing are enjoyable through more meticulous policies and support."