University students in Daejeon will discuss policies with candidates running for Daejeon mayor in the June 3 local elections.
The Daejeon Area University Student Council Hub, an alliance of undergraduate student councils from seven universities in Daejeon, announced on Wednesday that it will hold the "Daejeon University June 3 Local Election Response Network Policy Achievement Presentation" at 10 a.m. on May 16 in John Hannah Hall on the fifth floor of the KAIST Academic Cultural Complex (E9).
The Hub will present 26 policies across seven areas, developed based on regional issues experienced by Daejeon's youth, and deliver them to the mayoral candidates.
The Hub is a consultative body comprising undergraduate student councils from seven universities in Daejeon: Konyang University, Hanbat National University, Daejeon University, Mokwon University, Pai Chai University, Chungnam National University, and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The organization was launched to jointly respond to major regional issues based on inter-university solidarity, identify problems facing university students and youth amid changing regional conditions, and deliver their voices to the local community more clearly and powerfully.
At the event, undergraduate student councils from five universities — Hanbat National University, Daejeon University, Mokwon University, Chungnam National University, and KAIST — will present youth policy proposals they have been preparing since March.
The 26 policy proposals span seven areas closely tied to the daily lives of Daejeon's youth: transportation, safety, youth employment and startups, education and research, culture and arts, housing, and environment.
The KAIST Undergraduate Student Council will propose a "Daejeon Late-Night Bus Policy" to ensure mobility for young people during nighttime hours and ease taxi fare burdens, while the Hanbat National University Student Council will propose designating a "Youth Housing Specialized District" to improve the environment in areas around universities densely populated with studio apartments and multi-family housing.
The Daejeon University Student Council will propose measures including the establishment of a "Dong-gu Youth Cultural Social Platform" that combines local commerce and culture, and the revitalization of the Soje-dong Cafe Street.
"This is an opportunity for university students to directly propose issues they experience in their daily lives — such as transportation, housing, and jobs — as agenda items for the local elections," said Choi Jeong-heum, president of the KAIST Undergraduate Student Council and chair of the Hub. "We will continue to work in solidarity to ensure that the voices of Daejeon's youth are reflected in actual campaign pledges and municipal policies."
The Hub plans to officially deliver the final policy proposal report produced at the presentation to each candidate's campaign and maintain a continuous response network to ensure the policies are reflected in actual pledges and municipal administration throughout the local election process.
Meanwhile, Heo Tae-jeong, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Daejeon mayor; Lee Jang-woo, the People Power Party candidate; and Kang Hee-rin, the Reform Party candidate, are all scheduled to attend the event in person to listen to the policies developed by the university students and deliver remarks.
