Dongjak-gu Receives Prime Minister's Commendation in 2020 Youth Policy Evaluation

Received High Ratings in Appropriateness of Youth Policy Planning, Budget, Related Policy Linkage, and Effectiveness... Promoting Youth-Centered Welfare and Support System Reform, Diversification of Support, and Expansion of Safety and Protection Measures

Perspective view of the youth creative innovation experience space utilizing the Daebang-dong underground bunker

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Chang-woo Lee) received the Prime Minister’s Commendation on the 22nd at the ‘2020 Youth Policy Evaluation’ hosted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

This evaluation was prepared to discover and spread excellent cases of youth policies among 114 metropolitan and local governments nationwide, aiming to promote balanced youth policies.

The district received high scores in the joint government evaluation of local governments for youth policy analysis and support efforts for out-of-school youth, including ▲appropriateness of planning ▲policy system and budget ▲linkage with related policies ▲promotion and communication ▲policy effectiveness.

First, the district strengthened its role as a hub for supporting at-risk youth by reorganizing the youth welfare and support service system centered on demand, thereby enhancing youth rights.

It provided 13,428 youth safety net support services, a 9.2% increase compared to the previous year, held a total of 41 Youth Participation Committee meetings, and produced and distributed UCCs to raise awareness of local youth-related issues.

Since 2015, the district has operated a ‘Youth Parliament’ and promoted a youth policy platform on the way to school by visiting seven local high schools including Seongnam High School. This year, it proposed 15 youth policies through the Youth Autonomous Policy Market.

Additionally, the district supported the diversification of youth welfare support to help them grow into healthy members of society.

Last year, it enacted the Seoul Metropolitan Dongjak-gu Ordinance on Support for Out-of-School Youth, providing 6,919 cases of education, employment support, and counseling to 310 out-of-school youth, achieving high performance compared to other districts with 87.75% support for youth experiential learning cards.

In particular, by investing about 5.4 billion KRW, the district created youth-exclusive spaces to support healthy growth and strengthen capabilities, including ▲a youth creative innovation experience space utilizing an underground bunker, an idle space in Noryangjin Neighborhood Park in Daebang-dong ▲remodeling of the district-run youth reading room ▲youth hangouts.

Furthermore, the district expanded youth safety and protection measures to minimize risks in daily life and created safe school routes free from school violence.

Last year, the district established the nation’s first customized child and youth safety education support system, conducted safety education tailored to disaster types and age characteristics at 48 facilities, and created safe school routes free from school violence at four locations including Dongjak Elementary School and Heukseok Elementary School by this year.

Lee Chang-woo, Mayor of Dongjak District, is delivering a greeting speech at the Dongjak District Youth Autonomous Policy Marketing Team event last year.

In addition, the district carried out ▲expansion of youth homestays ▲operation of native English camps for universal educational welfare ▲support for low-income youth through voucher activation ▲inspection and joint patrols of youth harmful establishments.

Joo-il Park, Director of the Child and Youth Division, said, “We will further strengthen support so that youth in the region, the future of Dongjak-gu, can be protected and grow healthily through the promotion of policies for youth.”