Seminars

The Korea Institute of Child Care & Education (KICCE) held the KICCE–Japan International Cooperation Seminar on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at the main conference hall of its headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. The seminar, under the theme of “Understanding the Current Status of ECEC Integration and Teacher Training Systems in Korea and Japan,” was attended by KICCE officials — Yunjin Lee (Head, Office of Planning and Coordination), Eun Seol Kim (Director, Office of Fertility Support Policy Research), Eun Jin Kang (Director, Office of Early Childhood Policy Research), Keun Jin Kim (Head, Global Cooperation and Research Team), and Jiwon Kim (Associate Research Fellow). Participants from Japan included Professor Emeritus Chizu Teshi (Japan College of Social Work), Dr. Minjeong Kim (Seika Women’s Junior College), Assistant Professor Inae Han (Wako University), and Assistant Professor Masaki Uehara (Kumamoto Gakuen University).

The seminar provided an opportunity to share the history, progress, and current issues of ECEC integration in both countries. Yunjin Lee, Head of the Office of Planning and Coordination at KICCE, delivered a presentation on “The Organization of the KICCE and the Tasks for the Integration of ECEC.” Eun Seol Kim, Director of the Office of Fertility Support Policy Research, presented on “The Roles and Functions of the KICCE for the Integration of ECEC.” Following this, Eun Jin Kang, Director of the Office of Early Childhood Policy Research, spoke on “Teacher Qualifications and Professional Competence for the Integration of ECEC.” From Japan, Dr. Minjeong Kim of Seika Women’s Junior College gave a presentation titled “Policy Trends of Japan’s ‘Unification of Kindergarten and Childcare’ and the Current Situation and Challenges of Childcare Administration and Childcare Worker Training.”

In the discussion session following the presentations, participants exchanged views on the progress of ECEC integration in both countries and explored possible avenues for future cooperation.