Lee Sangil Expands Wangsanch Elementary School Back Gate Route After Parent's Safety Concern: "Children Are at Risk"

Yongin City Inspects Site Following July Traffic Guidance Volunteering
Securing Pedestrian Space for Students and Improving Vehicle Traffic Conditions
No Sidewalk and Only 3 Meters Wide: Students and Vehicles Entangled on Wangsanchu Elementary S

Cheoin District in Yongin Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Sangil), has improved the previously narrow and inconvenient school commute path near the back gate of Wangsanch Elementary School, thereby enhancing both pedestrian safety for students and traffic conditions for vehicles.

Before and after scenes of the school commute path behind Wangsanch Elementary School in Cheoin District, Yongin Special City. Provided by Yongin City.

According to Yongin City on September 9, this improvement project was launched after Mayor Lee Sangil listened to a parent’s suggestion during an inspection of the school commute route, which took place in July after he finished volunteering for a traffic guidance activity at Wangsanch Elementary School.

At that time, a parent told Mayor Lee, "The school route behind the back gate is too narrow, which makes it uncomfortable and unsafe for children when going to and from school," and formally requested improvements. After personally inspecting the site, Mayor Lee directed the relevant departments to secure as much usable space as possible to create a safe commute route.

The section in question had no separate sidewalk and the road width was only about 3 meters, resulting in a mix of students and vehicles during school hours. Some sections of road were particularly dangerous, being just wide enough for a single car due to curves, significantly raising the risk of accidents.

Since houses and apartment complexes are concentrated around the back gate of Wangsanch Elementary School, more students used it compared to the main gate; however, the narrow road caused longstanding inconvenience for students and residents alike.

After conducting a field inspection, Cheoin District removed or relocated obstacles such as trees, signposts, and retaining walls around the road that were impeding passage, and newly repaved the road. Through these changes, the road was widened compared to the previous condition, providing students with a safe walking space and ensuring smoother vehicle movement.

Mayor Lee Sangil stated, "While volunteering for traffic guidance at Wangsanch Elementary School last July, I heard from a parent that the school commute route behind the back gate was too narrow, inconveniencing and endangering children. After assessing the site myself, I saw that the road was indeed exceptionally narrow, with insufficient pedestrian space, so improvements were necessary. Despite various constraints on-site, we maximized usable space to ensure students have a safe commute route."

He further emphasized, "Even minor inconveniences near schools must be carefully reviewed and improved if they involve student safety. Moving forward, we will continue to listen to schools and parents to create a school environment where students feel secure going to and from school."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.