"We Need to Lower the Threshold for Students to Access Parliament"... Jeong Ye-ji, Bupyeong District Councillor, Emphasises the Effectiveness of Parliamentary Experience

Bupyeong District Councillor Jeong Ye-ji (Democratic Party of Korea, Proportional Representative) has strongly called for administrative support focused on the field to enhance youth access to parliament. In particular, she urged a move away from formal experience programmes, advocating for the provision of transport convenience and the creation of promotional content that reflects the latest trends, emphasising the need for a 'youth-friendly parliament'.

During the major work report of the Bupyeong District Council Secretariat held on the 27th of last month, Councillor Jeong targeted the long-standing issue of 'transportation' that has been identified as a barrier to youth parliamentary experience programmes.

Councillor Jeong pointed out the item 'Vehicle Support for Long-Distance Elementary, Middle, and High School Students' submitted by the Secretariat, stating, "In schools, if bus support is not provided, it is practically very difficult for one teacher to escort many students to the council." She mentioned a case from last year where a school requested vehicle support but was denied, forcing students to travel in multiple groups, and pressed that "if there are requests, we should actively support transport using district office buses and so on."

In response, Kim Yu-jin, the Public Relations Team Leader, stated, "We are providing support whenever possible when using district office vehicles," to which Councillor Jeong replied, "Given that the recent experience results are around 9 times a year, it is a level that can be sufficiently supported," reiterating the need for practical administrative service improvements.

Questions regarding the qualitative improvement of content also followed. Councillor Jeong pointed out that the educational videos for youth produced in 2023 are still being reused, stating, "As times are changing rapidly, we need the latest videos that children can watch and understand immediately." She reminded everyone that she had personally proposed the ordinance related to 'Youth Parliamentary Experience', making it clear that it is essential to ensure 'substance' beyond merely operating the programme.

Councillor Jeong stated, "It is very important for the youth, the future of the parliament, to see and learn directly from the democratic scene," and requested that they pay attention to even the finer details so that children can feel closer to the parliament, concluding her inquiries.

Meanwhile, on that day, the Council Secretariat reported on the preparations for the 10th Bupyeong District Council's opening and the achievement of an increase in the overall integrity rating from grade 2 to grade 1, and it was decided to conduct a separate report on the status of vehicle support and video production pointed out by Councillor Jeong.