[Letters] Let children have Children’s Day

Tomorrow is Children’s Day. It is a national holiday in Korea. Buddha’s birthday, which is also a national holiday, fell on Saturday, May 2. Today, Monday, is sandwiched by Sunday and Children’s Day, so most elementary, middle and high schools declared today as a special holiday. Students have at least four days off from school. Hooray!

In celebration of Children’s Day, online games such as Sudden Attack, Kart Rider and Maple Story, of which elementary school students are the main players, are throwing big events on the day. They are giving away more online money, more experience needed to level up avatars, and more special items to children who play the games on the special day.

In addition, hagwon, private education institutes, are also using this day dedicated to kids to give extra sessions.

Thus, on this their special holiday, children can end up going to their cram academies to study.

It is a very sad thing to see small kids going from hagwon to hagwon with huge backpacks full of books. Also, the kids are getting fat from sitting all the time, snacking in front of computer screens, stressed out from too much homework.

Parents! Wouldn’t it be happier to have a family reunion or a family picnic on this Children’s Day holiday, not only for your children’s sake but also for yourselves?

You should go out with your kids and play baseball, soccer, basketball, hide-and-seek - whatever your kids want.

On this holiday, farming communities, amusement parks and baseball stadiums are offering special events and discounts.

Children’s Day is a holiday that loses its special meaning to a child when he or she enters middle school or even the sixth grade of elementary school.

Give the kids a break from their hagwon at least on this holiday. Don’t let them spend the day in a PC game room.

Parents, let’s hear children’s playful laughter and watch them smiling instead of sighing over their grades or shouting at opponents in computer games on this Tuesday, Children’s Day.

Jeong Yeong-hun, student

Posung High School