Gyeonggi Office of Education Declares 'Three Major Reforms of Youth SNS' at the National Assembly

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education declared the 'Three Major Reforms for Youth SNS' at the National Assembly on the 29th, urging improvements in relevant systems and legislative action to create a safe and healthy digital environment for young people.

On this day, Superintendent An Minseok of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Assembly members Kim Namkook and Kim Jaewon, Song Suyeon, Chair of the Teachers' Union Federation, Lee Gun, Director of the Phone-Free Initiative at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Choi Seungil, former principal of Hwaseong High School, as well as parent representatives Jung Eunjah, Kwon Younghye, Kim Youngmee, and Kim Yunjung, read out the 'Declaration of the Three Major Youth SNS Reforms.' They agreed to work together, from practical changes at schools to system-wide improvements, to foster a healthier digital environment for youth.

The 'Three Major Reforms for Youth SNS' consist of the following: ▲ 'Algorithm Pause,' which sets a limit on the use of recommended algorithms for those under 14; ▲ 'SNS Safety Fence,' which by default blocks individual direct messages (DMs) from unknown outsiders; and ▲ 'Platform Responsibility,' which strengthens age verification and enhances platform accountability for youth protection.

First, they proposed introducing a daily usage limit on recommendation algorithms provided to children under 14 and implementing an 'autonomous rest mode,' in which the recommendation function is temporarily suspended after a certain period of usage. The aim is to enable young people to regain control over their digital usage by managing their own time online.

Additionally, it was urged that the default settings for youth accounts block DMs from external users except for those they have allowed—such as friends or reciprocal followers—in order to preemptively prevent contact that could lead to online sex crimes, deepfakes, financial extortion, drugs, gambling, and other crimes.

Minseok Ahn, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, is announcing the 'Three Major Reforms for Youth SNS' for creating a safe and healthy digital environment for teenagers at the National Assembly on the 29th. Provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education

Furthermore, the statement called for enhanced age verification measures on SNS platforms, the imposition of legal responsibility and substantive sanctions on companies that fail to fulfill their youth protection obligations, and overall strengthening of social responsibility for platform companies.

Superintendent An Minseok stated, "Since smartphones and SNS are already deeply embedded in children's daily lives and learning, an unconditional ban is not the answer. The National Assembly and the education sector must work together to create institutional safeguards so that children can regulate their usage independently and be protected from criminal risks."

Meanwhile, prior to the press conference, Superintendent An attended the National Assembly seminar 'The Achievements of Baeksan An Heeje and Modern Education,' held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, where he delivered a congratulatory address and received a plaque of appreciation. The seminar was organized to reflect on the life and independence movement of Baeksan An Heeje and to explore the meaning of his spirit in contemporary times.

Superintendent An revisited how Baeksan contributed to the country’s independence through nurturing talented individuals via education and supporting the independence movement through Baeksan Sanghoe, stressing the importance of history education in rightly carrying forward the legacy and spirit of the independence movement to future generations.

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