Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Seoul mayor, unveiled a set of children-focused pledges on Monday to mark Children's Day, saying "all of Seoul will take responsibility for our children's health and growth."
In a Facebook post, Jung outlined detailed pledges including the completion of a 24-hour pediatric care system, the establishment of an outreach-based child health management system, and strengthened reading-based education.
The 24-hour pediatric care system is also a central platform pledge of the Democratic Party. Jung said he would swiftly expand Moonlight Children's Hospitals, which offer nighttime and holiday care, to all autonomous districts, and revive plans to establish a municipal children's specialty hospital in the northeastern region, as such facilities are currently concentrated in the Gangnam area.
Jung also pledged to have local pediatric clinics directly visit daycare centers and kindergartens to manage children's health, and to fully expand the home health management program that had been implemented in only some daycare centers.
To boost children's literacy, he vowed to create "reading playgrounds" near residential areas, saying he would "build an environment in which children naturally become friends with books."
"When our children dream freely and grow up strong, Seoul's future opens up and the strength of the Republic of Korea grows," Jung said. "The growth of our children is the pride of Seoul."
Jung visited the Children's Garden Festival held at Seoul Children's Grand Park on the same day, holding a meeting with citizens who came out for the holiday.
He later visited Jamsil Sports Complex to greet baseball fans and attended a Children's Day festival at the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall.
Meanwhile, Jung's camp attacked People Power Party Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon as an "anti-child candidate," citing his history of opposing the full introduction of free school meals in 2011 and ultimately resigning from the mayoralty over the issue.
"Candidate Oh is a symbol of anti-child politics who threw away even the mayor's post to take away children's meals," said Rep. Kim Dong-ah of the Democratic Party, the camp's spokesperson. "Does the person who condemned a precious lunch for children as ruinous populism have any qualifications to discuss children's futures now?"
Kim added, "Candidate Oh forcibly dissolved the Seoul Social Service Agency, uprooting the public safety net. Candidate Oh must deeply reflect on his mistakes and immediately halt this political show that uses children as tools for showcase administration."
