Lee Visits Elementary School Sports Festival in North Jeolla: "Children's Laughter Is the Future of a Village"

Visits Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province
Joins students at fall sports festival
"Schools are the heart of village communities"
Concerned over population decline and threat of school closures

President Lee Jaemyung stressed the importance of school communities that connect local areas and generations, saying on the 22nd, "Children's laughter is the future of a village." Expressing concern over the wave of school closures in rural areas amid population decline and a shrinking school-age population, he said he was determined to create an environment where children can learn and grow without discrimination, wherever they live.

President Lee Jae-myung poses for a commemorative photo with students at the Autumn Sports Festival at Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on October 22, 2026. Yonhap News.

In a post on Facebook that day titled "Children's Laughter Is the Future of a Village," President Lee recalled, "Elementary school sports festivals were not just celebrations for children," adding, "They were village festivals where the whole community, from grandparents to parents and neighbors, came together to laugh and cheer."

He continued, "As everyone cheered at the top of their lungs, divided into the blue and white teams, the whole village would soon become one," explaining that "sports festivals are where children learn cooperation and consideration, and where generations and neighbors spend time together and share their affection."

In particular, he highlighted that schools are more than educational facilities: they are focal points that sustain local communities. President Lee stressed, "Schools are not only places where children grow up, but also the heart of a community that connects neighbors and brings a village together."

He also voiced concern over the threat to the survival of rural schools caused by population decline. "As the population shrinks, the number of children falls, and more areas are seeing their schools close," President Lee said, noting that "the disappearance of a school means more than simply losing a place of learning." He added, "The heart of a village, where children's laughter and neighbors' affection came together, can also grow weaker."

His remarks suggest that school closures should be seen not merely as a reduction in educational facilities but as a matter of whether local communities can endure. They also reflect concern about a vicious cycle in which the shrinking school-age population leads to school mergers and closures, which in turn worsen conditions for people living in the region.

President Lee also used school sports festivals to explain the value of "Daedong Sesang," a vision he has long emphasized. Referring to "a world where children can run and play freely, adults care for them together, and neighbors share in one another's joys and hardships," he asked, "Isn't 'Daedong Sesang,' where people care for one another and no one is left behind, just like this?"

He continued, "Children should be able to learn freely and pursue their dreams wherever they live," adding, "We will work together so that children's laughter spreads beyond schools and throughout villages, and seeds of hope can grow in every region."

President Lee Jaemyung delivers remarks at the Autumn Sports Festival held at Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on the 22nd. 2026.10.22 Yonhap News

Earlier that morning, President Lee also attended the Fall Sports Festival at Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, and mingled with students. Dressed casually without a tie, he spent time with the children and took part in the event.

In his remarks at the event, President Lee explained why he had come, saying, "When I said I wanted to visit an elementary school sports festival, there was nowhere holding one. After looking and looking, I ended up coming all the way here." He told the students, "I'll make it a little more fun," and enjoyed the festival with them. Assemblyman Han Byeong-do, who is from North Jeolla Province, and Senior Secretary Kim Kyung-ja also accompanied him at the event.

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