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Busan Metropolitan City to Host “City-Gu Dad Group, Let’s Raise Children Together!” Event

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will host the “City-Gu Dad Group, Let’s Raise Children Together!” event at Dasom Square in Busan Citizens Park on September 14 at 3:00 PM. The event, held as part of the “Shared Parenting Awareness Improvement Project,” is designed to support families raising young children in Busan and to foster a childbearing- and parenting-friendly environment.

This is the second collaborative project following the inaugural “Joint Project” held in 2024 with both the City and district/county governments. It will bring together the City’s 100 Dad Group and Dad Groups from 10 districts participating in the “Busan-style Child-Friendly Village Project.”

< Overview of the Busan-style Child-Friendly Village Project >
‣ Objective: Establishing a locally customized child-friendly environment conducive to childbirth and parenting
‣ Target: Infants and toddlers (ages 0–5) and their caregivers
‣ Project details: Linking childcare-related institutions by district/county, providing childcare-friendly content and programs reflecting citizen input, and operating support programs (Dad Groups in districts/counties, community childcare support groups, mobile programs, etc.)
‣ Support: Annual open call for 16 districts/counties, with 10 districts selected and operated in 2025
※ After analysis of local conditions and pilot studies in 2021–2022, Busan began the nation’s first full-scale implementation of the Child-Friendly Village Project in 2023

On this day, more than 800 people from over 200 families, including the City’s 100 Dad Group and Dad Groups from 10 districts, will participate. Families raising children in Busan will come together to support one another, share empathy, and spend enjoyable time with their children.

The 10 participating districts are: Seo-gu, Busanjin-gu, Dongnae-gu, Nam-gu, Buk-gu, Haeundae-gu, Gangseo-gu, Yeonje-gu, Suyeong-gu, and Sasang-gu.

The event will feature a wide range of programs promoting family and team cooperation, including paper box train building, train station stamp tours, eco-friendly cup lettuce growing, the “Juggleman & Balloon Bubble Show,” paper mask making, “Our Family’s Four Cuts of Life” photo booth, and an outdoor playground.

The main event will include families and teams working together to build their own “paper box train,” followed by a “train station stamp tour” where participants will complete missions at four train stations.*

*Four train stations:
– Shared Parenting Station (drawing your own train)
– Busan Dad Group Station (Velcro dart throwing)
– Boogie Station (beanbag toss)
– Pink Light Station (family four-cut photo booth)

Side programs include the “Juggleman Show,” a performance combining tools and body movement to showcase juggling arts; the “Balloon Bubble Show,” blending soap bubbles and balloons with a touch of magic; “Paper Mask Making,” where children decorate their own masks; “Our Family’s Four Cuts of Life,” creating memorable family photos; and an “Outdoor Playground” for children to freely enjoy.

In addition, videos introducing child-friendly villages in each district will be screened, and a parenting policy quiz will be held to share information about the City’s childbirth and parenting policies. Families with children present at the venue, beyond the Dad Groups, are also welcome to join the festivities.

Park Seol-yeon, Director General of the Women and Family Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “The Busan-style Child-Friendly Village Project is the nation’s first policy initiative designed to create a locally tailored, child-friendly environment conducive to childbirth and parenting. We hope this event, which highlights the active participation of fathers in childcare, will contribute to spreading a culture of shared parenting and fostering a childbirth- and parenting-friendly atmosphere.”

She added, “Busan Metropolitan City will continue to do its utmost to build a city where raising children is easy and joyful by preparing a variety of citizen-participatory programs to promote a society that is supportive of childbirth and parenting.”