Dongdaemun-gu and Dongdaemun Police Station Open 'Comprehensive Support Classroom for At-Risk Youth'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor You Deok-yeol), together with the Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station (Chief Yang Tae-eon), has opened the "Dongdaemun Crisis Youth Comprehensive Support Classroom" to support at-risk youth in growing up properly.

The Dongdaemun Crisis Youth Comprehensive Support Classroom was established by remodeling the Jangan 3 Security Center (78 Janghan-ro 18-gil) through a business agreement between the Dongdaemun-gu Youth Counseling Welfare Center and the Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station last July. It is a two-story building with a total floor area of 115.7㎡. The first floor includes a small stage space and a rest area, while the second floor features a deep counseling room, a police school experience room (simulation shooting range and forensic science experience room), and an outdoor rest area.

The classroom was created in Jangan-dong, where many schools and academies are located and youth traffic is frequent, to resolve accessibility issues to the Dongdaemun-gu Youth Counseling Welfare Center located in Sinseol-dong. It is expected to serve as a hub space for community youth safety by providing prompt counseling and services to at-risk youth.

The Dongdaemun-gu Youth Counseling Welfare Center plans to support the healthy growth of youth by maintaining a continuous cooperative system with the Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station and operating customized prevention education, counseling, character development programs, and experiential programs to protect at-risk youth within the social safety net.

Yang Tae-eon, Chief of the Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station, stated, "Juvenile offenders are greatly influenced by their surrounding environment and tend to have a high recidivism rate, so tailored support and management for the subjects are very important." He added, "Based on cooperation with the district office and the Dongdaemun-gu Youth Counseling Welfare Center and the opening of today’s comprehensive support classroom, I believe we can help at-risk youth grow properly."

You Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, "Recognizing at-risk youth as an important social issue and aiming to protect them within a safe environment, we established the Crisis Youth Comprehensive Support Classroom through an agreement with the Dongdaemun Police Station." He added, "We will continue to strive to make Dongdaemun-gu a happy place for youth through comprehensive support such as counseling and recovery for at-risk youth via organic cooperation between the district office and the police station."