Daejeon Youth Meetup Program Draws Huge Interest... First Recruitment Sees 11:1 Competition Ratio

888 Apply for 80 Spots... Customized Activities Utilizing Unique Venues such as Art Museums and Baseball Stadiums

The city of Daejeon’s new youth networking program, 'Yeon in Daejeon', is attracting significant interest among unmarried young adults.

According to the city on the 24th, for the first event to be held at Shinsegae Aquarium on the 26th, 888 unmarried youths aged 25 to 39 applied for 80 available spots, resulting in a competition rate of 11.1 to 1.

The city expects around 700 participants across 23 sessions from March to December, but nearly 900 young people applied for the very first session, demonstrating explosive interest in the program.

Accordingly, the city will select twice the number of applicants and then recruit the final participants for the first session based on the highest probability of matching, considering factors such as age.

A city official stated, "We believe the high level of interest is due to this being the first official youth networking support program since COVID-19."

The program aims to move beyond traditional, formal blind dates and instead provide opportunities for young people to share common interests and naturally form social connections.

The activities will take place in various venues such as art museums, baseball stadiums, and Sikjangsan, with customized programs that make the most of each location’s unique characteristics. The plan is to help participants connect through sharing their tastes while viewing art, enjoying games of their favorite teams together, and turning everyday moments into special relationships.

The application process has also been made more accessible by introducing an online platform, allowing young people to participate more comfortably. The program minimizes concerns about personal information exposure and is open to all young adults?including public servants, large company employees, entrepreneurs, and job seekers?without limiting participation to specific professions. The city intends to support not just one-time couple matching, but also ongoing communication and networking based on shared interests among young people.

At a weekly business meeting held that morning, Mayor Lee Jangwoo emphasized, in response to the explosive reaction, "We need to design the program meticulously so that young people can meet naturally, and from those encounters, a systematic program can be created to help them build meaningful relationships."