“It is wonderful to be able to walk and talk with the President on such a fine day.”

On the afternoon of the 19th, when the scent of greenery was in full bloom, the campus trail Geonji Mountain of Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) was once again filled with the energy of JBNU students.

JBNU held a walk-and-talk session in which students and the President walked together to strengthen communication with students.

The event was attended by President Kim Dong-won; Lee Jae-baek, Executive Vice-President of Student and Academic Affairs; Kim Nam-su, Director of Student Affairs; Yang Gyu-hyeok, Director of the Office of Academic Affairs; and other senior administrative officers, along with Student Council President Jang Kyung-su and representatives of college student councils.

They gathered at the International Convention Center of JBNU, which opened this year, and walked the JBNU Geonji Mountain trail, now established as a resting space for local residents. They spoke candidly about the university's history, various stories associated with Geonji Mountain, and recent student perspectives.

At the Honbul Literary Park along the trail, they also held a wreath-laying ceremony honoring Choi Myung-hee, a graduate of the Department of Korean Language & Literature and the author of the novel Honbul.

The event is significant in that it resumed a venue for communication with students that had been unavailable due to COVID-19 social distancing measures.

Student Council President Jang Kyung-su said, “I am pleased to have an opportunity for face-to-face communication with the President and the university headquarters' administrative faculty after a long time,” adding, “I hope such opportunities will become more frequent.”

President Kim Dong-won said, “It was regrettable that opportunities for regular communication with students decreased due to various restrictions from social distancing. I am glad to be able to meet students face-to-face on a fine day like today,” and added, “With the lifting of social distancing measures, I will increase opportunities to communicate face-to-face with students.”