Exclusive "Gov. Choo's SNS Explanation Contains Content Already Rejected Before Rally"…Childcare Crisis Imminent

Regarding the controversy over Gyeonggi Province's childcare budget, the Gyeonggi Province Childcare Center Association has refuted Governor Choo Mi-ae's explanation posted on social media, saying it "contains content already received and rejected before the rally."

According to Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Province Childcare Center Association on the 11th, Governor Choo posted an article titled "I Will Protect the Childcare Field to the End" on her social media the previous day and stated, "I clearly say that the misunderstanding that the childcare budget was arbitrarily cut is not true."

She continued, "It is not that the budget was cut, but rather when the 2026 fiscal year budget was initially prepared last year, the financial crisis situation was not properly considered and the budget demand was grasped complacently, resulting in insufficient funds to cover necessary resources," she explained.

Regarding childcare center operational support funds, she stated that the per-child support unit price was adjusted from the existing 12,600 won to 6,000 won, taking into account that national funds of 1 million won per facility per month are provided. The intention is to maintain minimum provincial funding support despite difficult financial circumstances.

This controversy arose when approximately 2.7 billion won needed to maintain existing childcare support levels for the remainder of this year was not reflected in the supplementary budget. Key issues include support for infant standard curriculum, childcare center operating expenses, and teacher treatment improvement allowances.

However, the childcare center association's position is that the measures proposed by Governor Choo are content already received before the rally, and since they cannot accept it, they proceeded with collective action.

Kang Won-mi, chair of the Gyeonggi Province Childcare Center Association, said, "That content was something we received even before the rally, and because we couldn't accept it, we held the rally," and added, "It is regrettable that the same content was posted again after the rally." She further stated, "It's about providing support until December by reducing the existing amount, but we cannot accept that."

The association raised the issue on the 1st when applications for some childcare-related subsidies for October were blocked, and after a press conference on the 2nd, October applications became possible, but they say they have not received a clear answer regarding support amounts for November and December.

In response, the association held rallies with approximately 2,000 people per day for four days from the 6th to the 8th in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Building, demanding normalization of the childcare budget.

Chair Kang said, "If we had achieved results through the rally over three days, we planned to end it there," and "However, only October support was resolved, and the rest of our demands have not been reflected."

The association views the handling of the supplementary budget by the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly scheduled for the 12th as a turning point for future responses. Even if the provincial assembly increases the childcare budget, Governor Choo's approval is necessary in the final confirmation process.

Chair Kang stated, "The association has applied for observation of the plenary session," and "If the governor disapproves, we will take additional action."

The scale of response could expand from rallies centered on childcare center directors to large-scale collective action involving childcare teachers.

Chair Kang said, "During the previous rally, childcare teachers also said they would participate, and the childcare teachers association said they would join, but we asked them to watch over the children first since the directors were going to take action, so childcare teachers haven't participated so far," and "(If the childcare budget increase is not realized at the Dec. 12 provincial assembly plenary session) opinions are heavily leaning toward holding one-person protests, large-scale rallies, and group childcare center closures," she reported.

The possibility of collective closure, abandoning childcare center operations altogether, is even being discussed. Chair Kang said, "There's also talk of surrendering licenses. About 10 years ago, we also surrendered licenses," mentioning precedent of collective action.

What distinguishes this situation from past childcare budget conflicts is that not only childcare center operating expenses but also teacher treatment improvement allowances paid directly to individual childcare teachers are included as adjustment targets.

Chair Kang said, "There have been adjustments to childcare center operational methods and regulations and support for facility directors, but we have never touched the childcare teacher aspect," and "Across all 17 provinces and cities, this is the first instance of touching teacher treatment," she emphasized.

She continued, "Since we're trying to cut treatment improvement allowances created for teachers working at minimum wage levels, the field has no choice but to resist," and "If the nation says it will provide free childcare, it should support teachers to at least maintain a basic livelihood," she said.

This conflict is expected to extend beyond the remaining two months' budget this year to the 2027 fiscal year budget preparation.

Chair Kang said, "We didn't hold the rally thinking only of this year's budget. We want normal budgets to be executed next year as well," and "Even if we get through this supplementary budget issue, we need to discuss the main budget again," she stated.

Meanwhile, Governor Choo stated on social media, "I will not let the childcare field, which is the hope of the future, shake due to financial difficulties," and said she will work with the central government and the National Assembly to stably secure childcare financing.