Seminars

The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education held the 2nd ECEC Policy Symposium on the theme of “Understanding the Lives of Young Children through Data and the Direction of New Policy Agendas” on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 2:00 PM at the Sky Hall, 21st floor of the Myeongdong Post Tower.

The event commenced with welcoming remarks by President Ock Kyeung Hwang, followed by a keynote presentation delivered by Dr. Jinah Park, Research Fellow at the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. The presentation provided an overview of the lives of young children in Korea by analyzing government-approved statistical data on topics including population and health, early childhood education and care (ECEC), and the status of private education for young children.

Subsequently, Dr. Shun Ah Chung, Professor in the Department of Child Welfare at Sookmyung Women’s University, chaired the panel discussion. Representatives from academic societies presented and discussed five key policy agendas for early childhood in the era of transformation. Presentations were delivered by the following academic societies:

– Korean Association of Childcare Support (President: Jin Wook Kim)

– Korean Council for Children's Rights (President: Hyung Mo Kim)

– Korean Society for Early Childhood Education & Care (President: Ji-Hee Bae)

– Korean Society for Early Childhood Education (Vice President: Su Kyoung Park)

– Korean Association of Child Studies (Vice President: Nana Shin)

Following the presentations, a discussion was held to collect expert opinions and explore potential policy directions.