Busan is good

“Captured by Our Own Hands: Busan!”… Busan Metropolitan City Publishes Spring Issue of Children’s Newspaper “Big Eye Dorandoran”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk) announced that it will publish and begin full-scale distribution of the Spring 2026 issue (No. 4) of its participatory children’s newspaper “Big Eye Dorandoran” on April 30, a publication designed to present the charm of Busan from a child’s perspective.

“Big Eye Dorandoran” combines “Big,” an abbreviation of “Busan is Good,” with the meaning of children chatting warmly together, reflecting its purpose of viewing the local community through children’s eyes and delivering diverse news about Busan.

This spring issue marks the first publication produced with the participation of the 2nd Little Busan Reporters Group, which was launched through an inauguration ceremony in March.

A total of 314 young reporters—over 100 more than the previous year—covered various locations across Busan and wrote articles based on their firsthand experiences.

Key contents include a sketch of the 2nd reporters group inauguration ceremony, visits to major cultural and experiential facilities in Busan during spring, an introduction to The 55th National Junior Sports Festival, and previews of festivals and events in May and June. Educational content such as Newspaper in Education (NIE), webtoons, and vocabulary quizzes is also included.

Since its launch in June 2025, the newspaper has received positive responses from children and parents. Beginning this year, its scale has been significantly expanded to better fulfill children’s right to information and broaden opportunities for participation in municipal affairs.

The publication frequency has increased from three times a year to four quarterly issues, and the circulation has expanded from 110,000 to 160,000 copies, enabling all students in 302 elementary schools across Busan to receive the newspaper.

The number of pages has also been increased from 8 to 12, allowing for more in-depth coverage, including color photo spreads and a wider range of stories discovered by young reporters.

Meanwhile, the Spring 2026 issue (No. 4) of “Big Eye Dorandoran” will be distributed not only to elementary schools but also to a total of 443 locations, including the children’s cultural complex “Deullak Nallak,” local libraries, and Kyobo Bookstore. It is also available online via the Busan children’s newspaper website (www.busan.go.kr/kids).

Oh Mi-kyung, spokesperson for Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “With the significant expansion in both publication scale and reporter group operations this year, more children will have valuable opportunities to develop pride in Busan and express their voices as members of society,” adding, “We hope that ‘Big Eye Dorandoran,’ created by children reporters actively working in the field, will continue to serve as a platform for communication that connects the future generations of Busan.”