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Mayor Park Heong-joon: “From 100 to 1,000”… Expanding ‘Dad-Led Parenting’… Launch of the “Busan 1,000 Dads Group”!

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will expand the “Busan 100 Dads Group” into the “Busan 1,000 Dads Group” starting this year to broaden fathers’ participation in parenting and promote a culture of happy parenting in which families grow together.

The city will hold a joint launch ceremony on March 21 at 2:00 PM with the city and 16 districts and counties, marking the official start of the dads group’s activities. Of the 1,000 participating fathers, 200 will attend in person and 800 will join via Zoom.

The event will proceed with ▲a screening of an introductory video on the “Busan 1,000 Dads Group” ▲a reading of the dads group declaration by representatives from the city and districts/counties ▲a relay flag performance and ceremony ▲a commemorative photo session. In the second part, a networking session and orientation for the city and district/county dads groups will be held to strengthen participants’ sense of belonging and commitment.

The “Busan 1,000 Dads Group” will consist of 100 fathers from the city-level group and 900 fathers from the 16 districts and counties, continuing various online and offline activities from the March launch through December.

Online, participants will carry out weekly missions in areas such as play, education, health, daily life, and relationships. Offline, programs will allow fathers and children to explore Busan’s attractions and engage in diverse experiential activities together. In September, a joint “Together Parenting Day” event involving both the city and district/county dads groups will be held, and in December, a closing ceremony will take place to wrap up the year and share achievements.

Busan Metropolitan City has previously operated the “Busan 100 Dads Group” as part of its parenting policy brand “As Cherished As You,” consistently offering experiential and communication programs for fathers and children.

Last year, programs included ▲a classical park concert ▲a Gupo noodle-making experience ▲a drawing art experience ▲a mothers’ relaxation program ▲family water play activities, as well as visiting parenting mentoring and parental counseling services.

This year, in addition to the city, all 16 districts and counties will operate experiential programs reflecting regional characteristics, further expanding the culture of shared parenting throughout Busan.

In particular, region-specific programs such as fish cake-making experiences in Yeongdo-gu, yacht experiences in Suyeong-gu, and mushroom farm experiences in Gijang-gun will be developed and operated, providing opportunities for fathers and children to explore local communities together and enhance satisfaction.

Meanwhile, the “100 Dads Group” is a representative participatory dad-parenting program launched offline for the first time nationwide in 2018, enabling novice fathers unfamiliar with parenting to share experiences, communicate directly with their children, and build strong bonds.

This year, the city selected 100 fathers residing in Busan with children aged 4 to second grade in elementary school—including multicultural families, families with two or more children, and single-child families—for the city-level dads group. Additionally, 900 fathers were selected across the 16 districts and counties, forming the expanded “Busan 1,000 Dads Group.”

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “It is very meaningful that the ‘Busan 100 Dads Group,’ now in its 10th year, has expanded into the ‘Busan 1,000 Dads Group.’ I hope that, through the launch of this initiative led by our city, the culture of ‘dad-led parenting’ and ‘happy parenting’ will spread even more widely across Busan.”

He added, “Busan Metropolitan City will continue to do its utmost to create a safe and supportive parenting environment where mothers, fathers, and children can grow happily together, making Busan a warm city where it is easy to have and raise children.”