Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Publishes the 2nd Issue of the Children’s Newspaper “Big Eye Dorandoran”… Covering the National Sports Festival, Environment, and Culture with Lively Stories

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has published the 2nd issue of the participatory children’s newspaper “Big Eye Dorandoran,” which conveys local stories and city news from a child’s perspective, and has started distributing it today (22nd) to elementary schools and major children’s facilities across the city.

“Big Eye Dorandoran” is a children’s newspaper launched in June by Busan Metropolitan City. A total of 204 child reporters, the “Little Busan Reporters” (Kkobugi-dan), comprised of 4th to 6th grade elementary school students, participate directly in reporting and writing. Through quarterly regular publication, it delivers community news from the perspective of children.

The central theme of the 2nd issue of “Big Eye Dorandoran” is “Busan, the City of Sports.” It focuses on the preparation sites for the upcoming National (Paralympic) Sports Festival in October, covering diverse stories such as the D-100 event held at Sajik Baseball Stadium, interviews with torch relay runners, and the shooting team aiming for the golden target.

In addition, the issue includes children’s explorations of the 1st anniversary of the opening of Domoheon, Busan’s representative multi-complex cultural space, as well as experiences of “Our Neighborhood ESG Center,” the 4th One and Only Earth Film Festival, a visit to the Busan Regional Meteorological Administration, and participation in the Climate Industry International Expo. These stories reflect children’s firsthand experiences at the sites, raising awareness of climate change and a sustainable future.

In the “Kkobugi News” section, articles uniquely written from the perspective of child reporters are featured, including experiences with “Zero Transportation Fees for Children,” a visit to the 2025 Children’s Expo, “Kkobugi’s Viewpoint,” and children’s policy suggestions.

This issue is also filled with learning- and participation-oriented content. It includes the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education’s Newspaper in Education (NIE) program “A Window to the World” by Superintendent Shin Dong-hyun, stories about Busan’s road names (World Cup-daero edition), word quizzes, and reader participation events that provide both fun and educational value.

The cover of this issue is decorated with the artwork “Busan Running on the Sea” by Choi Seol, a 3rd grader at Myeongwon Elementary School, expressing the dynamic image of Busan in autumn.

In addition, for the first time, this 2nd issue includes a satisfaction survey to listen to the voices of children and parent readers. The survey is available until October 22 via a QR code printed in the newspaper and the announcement on the children’s newspaper website. Among the respondents, 30 people will be randomly selected to receive commemorative gifts. The results will be reflected in future newspaper production.

The city has published 110,000 copies of the children’s newspaper so that all elementary school students in Busan can access it, distributing them to elementary schools, libraries, and the children’s cultural complex “Deullaknalak.” It is also available online through the children’s newspaper website (www.busan.go.kr/kids).

Meanwhile, the 3rd issue is scheduled to be published in December, and the cover illustration contest for the next issue will be held from October 20 to November 3. Details can be found in the announcement on the children’s newspaper website.

City spokesperson Won Young-il stated, “This 2nd issue vividly captures major issues of Busan—including the National (Paralympic) Sports Festival, climate and environment, and cultural sites—through the eyes of children,” adding, “We will further develop ‘Big Eye Dorandoran’ into a newspaper created together with children and citizens through various participatory opportunities such as reader satisfaction surveys and cover contests.”