Busan is good

Report on the 9th “Busan 100 Fathers” Program: A Year of Growth Together with the 100 Fathers

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the presentation event titled “A Year of Growth Together with the 100 Fathers of Busan” will take place at 2 p.m. on November 30 in the City Hall Auditorium.

This event, held in a festive Christmas atmosphere, will conclude the eight-month journey of the 9th cohort and provide fathers and their families a space to share their reflections on participating in the program.

Approximately 150 participants, including Mayor Park Heong-joon, members of the 100 Fathers program, and their families, will gather to revisit the significance of shared parenting and celebrate the joy they experienced throughout the year.

The program will include a video showcasing the group’s activities, an award ceremony recognizing outstanding fathers, a commemorative photo session, and speeches by participating fathers.

The top participation awards will be presented to five fathers — Kang You-seung, Kim Tae-jin, Park Kwang-gyu, Lee Byung-hyun, and Jung Tae-yong — who completed all weekly online missions assigned through the official community platform of the 100 Fathers program from April to November and who actively participated in the program.

In April, the City selected 100 beginner fathers residing in Busan who are raising children aged 4 to second grade in elementary school (born between 2017 and 2021) to join the 9th cohort of the 100 Fathers program.

Throughout the year, the fathers participated with their children and families in a wide range of activities — including a classical park concert, Gupo Noodle Museum experience, drawing and art programs, a family water-play camp, horseback riding, and cultural experiences for mothers — all designed to promote meaningful communication and expand a culture of shared parenting.

In September, during the year’s second joint event between the City and district-level fathers’ groups — “City–District Fathers: Let’s Parent Together!” — participants enjoyed hands-on activities such as building cardboard trains, creating cherished memories while reaffirming parents’ enthusiasm for active involvement in childcare.

The City plans to recruit the 10th cohort of the “Busan 100 Fathers” program next year and expand district-level fathers’ group initiatives within the Busan-style child-friendly village project, offering more tailored parenting programs across communities.

The “Busan 100 Fathers” program is jointly operated by the City and the Busan Branch of the Planned Population Federation of Korea, providing a platform for beginner fathers to share parenting concerns and practical tips through various experiential activities. In 2018, Busan was the first city nationwide to adapt the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s mission-based online program into an offline format, contributing to the widespread adoption of offline fathers’ programs across the country.

Busan Metropolitan City will continue strengthening policies that support parents in a practical way. The City is actively pursuing the “All of Busan Cares for You All Day Long” initiative launched last year (2024) and will implement full-scale free childcare for all daycare centers starting next year.

As part of its efforts to promote awareness of shared parenting, the City launched the “Pink Culture Day” program this year, offering cultural experiences for pregnant women and families with infants and young children, receiving highly positive feedback.

In celebration of the 18th Multichild Family Day, the City also held its first-ever “Talented Multichild Family Contest,” creating a joyful and encouraging environment for families with multiple children.

Mayor Park Heong-joon commented, “I hope that the ‘parenting muscles’ you have strengthened over the past eight months will help your families become even more harmonious and happy,” adding, “Busan Metropolitan City will continue to reinforce its role as a practical partner for parents, with the commitment to building a city where children are truly happy and where people would want to live again.”