Busan is good

The 23rd Busan Childcare Workers Harmony Festival Builds a Foundation for Unity and Communication Among Childcare Professionals

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the 23rd Busan Childcare Workers Harmony Festival was held at KBS Busan Hall at 5:00 p.m. on October 30.

Now in its 23rd year, the 2025 Busan Childcare Workers Harmony Festival was organized to recognize the dedication of childcare teachers who work tirelessly at daycare centers, to boost morale, and to promote unity among childcare professionals.

The event brought together approximately 2,000 participants, including Mayor Park Heong-joon, the Superintendent of Education, members of the National Assembly, district mayors and county heads, city council members, and many childcare professionals. The program consisted of a pre-event performance, opening addresses, congratulatory and encouragement remarks, an awards ceremony for contributors to childcare services, a recitation of the Childcare Workers’ Ethical Declaration, and celebratory performances.

Awards were presented to individuals who made significant contributions to the advancement of childcare throughout the year, including commendations from the Mayor of Busan, the Chairperson of the Busan City Council, the Superintendent of Education, and the President of the Busan Association of Daycare Centers. The ceremony was followed by a festive performance, offering participants a chance to enjoy and recharge together.

To improve the welfare and working environment of childcare workers, Busan Metropolitan City is implementing several initiatives, including:

• ●Substitute teacher support

• ●Assistant teacher and extended care teacher placement

• ●Financial support for the improvement of childcare staff welfare and working conditions

The city provides allowances such as homeroom teacher stipends, welfare benefits, and special duty allowances to enhance working conditions. Substitute teachers are also provided to minimize disruptions caused by annual leave, while assistant teachers and teachers dedicated to extended care programs are assigned to alleviate the workload caused by long working hours, thereby improving on-site working conditions for childcare professionals.

Meanwhile, Busan Metropolitan City has been implementing its Busan-style childcare policy brand “Like You, We Cherish (Dangsincheoreom Aejijungji)” since 2024, as part of its vision to make Busan “a city where it is good to give birth and raise children.” The city is advancing various childcare policies centered around three core strategies: all-day care, zero parental burden, and play together.

Major initiatives include:

• ●Expanding the number of part-time childcare centers to 195 to ease family childcare burdens

• ●Operating Busan-type 365 Open Time Childcare Centers (10 locations) for weekend and holiday emergency childcare

• ●Expanding subsidies for field trip expenses for children aged 2 to 5

• ●Introducing monthly parental event subsidies (10,000 KRW) starting from the second half of this year

As a result of continuing the “All Busan Cherishes Like You” initiative, the city has achieved various outcomes, including:

• ●Being selected as the No. 1 city in child quality of life among 17 metropolitan governments (July 2024)

• ●Achieving over 87 percent citizen satisfaction with the “Like You, We Cherish” policy (November 2024)

• ●Winning the Maeil Business Newspaper National Brand Award (May 2025)

Mayor Park Heong-joon remarked, “This year, the birth rate has risen by 8 percent and the marriage rate by nearly 10 percent. The children born in Busan should feel, ‘It’s great to be born in Busan, and even better to be raised here.’ This requires the continued dedication and greater passion of all childcare professionals on the frontlines. Busan Metropolitan City will continue to make every effort to build an environment where childcare workers can take pride and fulfillment in their work.”