Iksan City Accelerates Youth Welfare Policies as Future Assets

Focus on Supporting Out-of-School Youth and Preventing School Violence

Iksan City Hall

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hong Jae-hee] Iksan City, Jeonbuk, is stepping up efforts to implement diverse and practical welfare policies targeting youth who can open a new future for Iksan.

On the 13th, the city announced that it will evenly promote customized services such as counseling, protection, education, and self-reliance for at-risk youth to support out-of-school youth and prevent school violence.

With growing interest in out-of-school youth, the city secured a project budget of 70 million KRW to create a "dedicated space for out-of-school youth."

Accordingly, the city plans to create and operate a space where youth can realize their identity through peer relationships, providing opportunities to grow healthily within the local community.

Additionally, the city focuses on discovering out-of-school youth through various methods such as the Youth Hotline 1388 and outreach street counseling.

Currently, 234 youths are registered at the Iksan Out-of-School Youth Support Center, receiving support in counseling, learning, self-reliance, employment assistance, health checkups, and meal support.

On May 23, all 45 examinees registered at this center passed the qualification exam, marking a remarkable achievement.

Meanwhile, the city holds the "School Violence Countermeasure Regional Council" twice a year to address school violence issues collectively within the community.

The city analyzes and identifies the status of incidents and accidents related to youth violence inside and outside schools or major youth crisis events occurring in the region, seeking measures to prevent recurrence through close consultation with local youth-related organizations.

Furthermore, the city plans to establish mid- to long-term youth policies based on basic needs and current status data of local youth obtained through the province's first-ever youth needs and status survey research project.

A city official stated, "Since youth are the hope of Iksan, we will support all young people to grow healthily into respectable adults who lead Iksan from their respective positions."