The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's campaign, titled "Miracle of 100 Phone-Free Days," designed to help students self-regulate their smartphone use, has officially kicked off to an enthusiastic response from over 10,000 elementary, middle, and high school students.

According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education on September 27, online applications for the "Miracle of 100 Days" collected more than 7,000 posts during the application period from September 1 to 18.

The provincial education office estimates that the actual number of participating students easily exceeds 10,000, as some schools registered their entire student bodies in bulk, while some parents registered multiple children at once.

Students who began the "Miracle of 100 Days" starting September 7 alongside their applications set their own daily smartphone usage limits and track whether they meet their goals each day.

They also establish specific goals to change their smartphone habits over the 100 days, such as stopping smartphone use one hour before bedtime and putting down phones during family meals, and make efforts to practice them.

During the time they refrain from using smartphones, they also record their experiences engaging in activities across three alternative areas: reading, arts and culture, and sports.

The provincial education office expects that students will experience practical changes in their studies, friendships, family relationships, hobbies, and sleep rhythms through this initiative.


On September 29 and October 2, joint student declaration ceremonies will be held at the southern and northern offices of the provincial education office to share mid-term progress reports from participating students and personal accounts from parents.

A comprehensive performance presentation ceremony will also be held after December 15, when the 100-day journey concludes.

In addition, based on the practice logs kept by the students, 100 outstanding participants will be selected and given the opportunity to join a historical tour of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai and Hangzhou, China, in January next year.

An official from the provincial education office stated, "More students participated than expected, and many parents encouraged participation from their younger elementary school children. The Miracle of 100 Days will serve as an excellent practical case for establishing a phone-free culture in schools across the province."

(Photo: Provided by Yonhap News TV, Provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Yonhap News)