Seoul's Gwanak-gu saw improvements in its child-friendly environment, with both the "child index," which measures how children and their guardians perceive their surroundings, and the "city index," which reflects satisfaction with administrative services, rising.
The district said Friday that its child index reached 77.3 points in a recent standard survey of child-friendly cities, up 3.2 points from 74.1 points in 2024. The city index also rose 3.1 points over the same period, from 68.2 points to 71.3 points.
The survey was conducted over about a month from May to June, with a total of 1,524 participants including elementary, middle and high school students, children from minority groups, parents of preschool children, and workers at child facilities. The sample was designed according to UNICEF recommendations to reflect the opinions of various groups, and the entire survey process underwent pre- and post-review by a designated inspection agency to enhance reliability.
The survey focused on six main areas: play and culture; participation and respect; safety and protection; health and welfare; educational environment; and home environment. Gwanak-gu explained that it has consistently pursued policies such as promoting children's rights, strengthening safety nets, and expanding play and cultural environments, and that the survey results show these efforts have translated into an actual improvement in perceived experience.
The district plans to use these results as basic data for future policy enhancement. It intends to analyze detailed indicators by age, region, and target group to pursue customized child-friendly policies, and to refine related systems and administrative services further.
The survey results will be released through the Gwanak-gu Office website and shared with residents through various methods, including future forums.
"It is highly significant that efforts to create a city where children are happy have led to rising indicators," Gwanak-gu Mayor Park Jun-hee said. "We will supplement areas that fall short and strengthen our strong points to build a Gwanak-gu that reflects the voices of children."
