Uijeongbu High School students present policy proposals to mayor

Students from Uijeongbu High School and Balgok High School met with Uijeongbu Mayor Kim Won-gi to present seven policy proposals addressing local issues. The meeting, held at the mayor's office, lasted approximately 25 minutes.

Over 100 students from both schools have been investigating local issues and meeting with community members and organizations since April. They presented their findings and proposed solutions at a 발표회 (balpyohwe - presentation event) on the 15th and exhibited their policy proposals at the city council starting the 21st. The proposals were directly handed to the mayor, requesting their reflection in city administration.

The seven proposals include: installing dedicated receptacles for cigarette butts; ensuring student health through eco-friendly food and school meal support systems; expanding citizen participation in climate and environmental policies; utilizing the Camp Red Cloud site for youth programs; providing school bus support for the mobility rights of night school students; establishing and operating restaurants exclusively for children and adolescents; and exploring policies for Uijeongbu's financial analysis and expansion.

Students from Uijeongbu High School formed six teams, and one team from Balgok High School created the proposals after visiting local institutions and conducting field research, including expert interviews. For instance, the cigarette butt team surveyed commercial areas, alleys, and sewer surroundings, finding that simply increasing the number of receptacles was insufficient. They proposed a dedicated receptacle fixed to streetlights with a narrowed opening to prevent littering and theft.

Mayor Kim acknowledged the proposals, stating that the necessary budget must be considered for actual project implementation, and instructed relevant departments to carefully review the suggestions for potential integration into city policy. The city plans to examine the feasibility and practicality of the proposals to find ways to reflect them in its administration.

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Through this activity, I became more interested in local issues and realized that making policy decisions is not easy. I think there is a lack of communication channels where the administration can directly convey students' voices and have practical conversations, although administrative authorities must be busy. I think such opportunities should be more frequent.