Busan is good

Busan Launches the 1st Children’s Press Corps in 2025

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) will host the inauguration ceremony of the 1st Busan Children’s Press Corps, "Little Busan Reporters," at 4:00 PM on June 14 (Saturday) at the City Hall Grand Auditorium to celebrate the upcoming launch of the children’s newspaper Big 아이도란도란.

The event will be attended by approximately 400 people, including Mayor Park, child reporters, and their parents. More than a symbolic launch, the ceremony marks the official start of a structured press corps through which children will independently investigate and document their communities—instilling pride and a spirit of participation.

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To encourage children to better understand Busan’s culture and history and to grow as active members of society, the City will launch a children’s newspaper at the end of June.

• ●The newspaper Big 아이도란도란 will be an 8-page tabloid.

• ●The first issue will be released at the end of June, with two more issues following in September and December (3 total in 2025).

• ●Approximately 110,000 copies will be printed and distributed in July across local elementary schools and children’s cultural venues such as Deullak Nallak.

The newspaper will include:

• ●Articles written directly by child reporters: interviews, field reports, and cultural experiences

• ●Newspaper in Education (NIE) content in collaboration with the Office of Education

• ●Original comic strips by young Busan artists

The inaugural class of 204 reporters was selected in April via public recruitment, including children from multicultural backgrounds.

Their activities began with a visit to the Busan Concert Hall in May and will continue monthly with:

• ●Thematic fieldwork and coverage

• ●Cultural and sports event experiences

• ●Writing and publishing of articles

• ●Participation in key municipal programs

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During summer vacation, the press corps will also receive writing workshops to improve their skills. The 1st term will conclude with an awards ceremony in February 2026.

The Children’s Press Corps will go beyond passive participation to become child citizen journalists who actively engage in local issues—supporting Busan’s vision of a child-friendly city.

To support this initiative in the digital age, the City has launched a dedicated website:
www.busan.go.kr/kids

The site features:

• ●Articles by child reporters

• ●Interactive content: word puzzles, BBOOGI character dress-up, 4-panel comics

• ●Quizzes at the end of each article for educational engagement by children, parents, and teachers

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Statement from the Mayor:

Mayor Park Heong-joon shared,
“This children's newspaper is meaningful because it allows children to take the lead in exploring and reporting on Busan’s culture and facilities.
I hope the press corps and the newspaper, the first of their kind in Busan, will brighten our community through children’s eyes and take a meaningful step toward making Busan a city where children are truly happy.”

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Appendix: Event Overview

• ●Title: Inauguration Ceremony for the 1st Busan Children’s Press Corps “Little Busan Reporters”

• ●Date/Time: June 14, 2025 (Sat), 15:00–17:40

• ●Location: Grand Auditorium, Busan City Hall

• ●Participants: 400 (child reporters and parents)

• ●Main Segments:
    1) Pre-ceremony activities and exhibition
    2) Inauguration ceremony
    3) Orientation program

Program Schedule Summary:

Segment	Time	Content
Part 1	15:00–15:55 (55’)	Registration, kit distribution, photo wall, balloon sharing, pledges
	15:55–16:00 (5’)	Entry of participants
Part 2	16:00–16:35 (35’)	Opening, greetings, oath ceremony, badge presentation, quiz session
Part 3	16:35–17:40 (65’)	Performances, journalism workshop, parent messages, activity briefing