Naju-si, Full Effort for Local Youth Growth and Exchange

Youth Center 'Cheongnyeon Gaon Madang' Opens

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Naju City has opened a hub space that supports the growth and exchange of local youth.

Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kang In-gyu) announced on the 2nd that it held the opening ceremony of the youth center ‘Cheongnyeon Gaon Madang,’ established by remodeling the former Songwol-dong Administrative Welfare Center, and has begun full-scale operation.

With a total investment of 240 million KRW, including securing national funds through selection for the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s ‘Community Revitalization Foundation Project’ and Jeollanam-do’s ‘Jeonnam Population New Hope Finding Contest Project,’ remodeling of the old Songwol-dong Administrative Welfare Center building (559㎡) began in May last year and was completed in December last year.

The center building has two floors: the first floor includes a shared kitchen, Gaon Hall, cultural performance hall, seminar room, study room, and financial counseling room; the second floor houses the Sprout Workshop and multipurpose room, providing various spaces for youth exchange and support.

The center’s name, ‘Cheongnyeon Gaon Madang,’ was selected as the grand prize winner in a naming contest held last December, meaning ‘a space where youth become the center of the world.’

It is open to anyone aged 19 to 39 or youth organizations from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and is closed on weekends and public holidays.

About 50 people, including Mayor Kang In-gyu, Jeollanam-do Vice Governor Song Sang-rak, City Council Chairman Kim Young-duk, and local provincial and city council members, attended the opening ceremony.

The ceremony proceeded with writing youth hope messages to commemorate the center’s opening, delivery of support funds for the Youth Challenge Support Project, commemorative speeches, ribbon-cutting, and an internal tour of the center.

Mayor Kang In-gyu said, “The youth center will support the passion and challenges of local youth and will spare no interest and support to develop into a platform for practical communication, exchange, and collaboration. We will do our best to promote substantial policies such as job creation so that young people can settle and grow stably without leaving the region.”

Meanwhile, the establishment of the Naju Youth Center is a pledge project of the 7th local government administration under the slogan ‘Naju where youth stand tall!’

Previously, the city included it in the five-year youth policy plan established in 2018 and has been promoting the strengthening of local youth’s employment and entrepreneurship capabilities and the creation of a network hub among youth.