Expansion of Job Cafes and Cultural Spaces, Expectation for Youth Culture Upgrade
[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] The Jeonnam Haenam-gun Youth Dodream Center held its opening ceremony on the 23rd and officially began operations.
According to the county on the 24th, the Haenam Youth Dodream Center was newly constructed with a total area of 307.4㎡ and two above-ground floors, with a project cost of over 1.2 billion KRW, starting construction at the end of last year for the purpose of establishing a foundation for revitalizing the local community.
The first floor of the center consists of a shared space freely accessible to youth and a youth job cafe, while the second floor includes offices, classrooms, and meeting rooms. The classrooms and meeting rooms can be used free of charge by anyone through reservation.
In particular, amid the deepening trend of declining youth population in rural areas, the opening of the Youth Dodream Center, which will oversee youth policies and serve as a free communication space for young people, is expected to be a stepping stone for improving local youth culture.
The center will operate not only as a platform for sharing various information such as youth-tailored courses and job counseling but also as a cultural space created by the youth themselves.
The youth job cafe, which has been operating since 2018, will also be relocated inside the center, giving new momentum to the project. It will operate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
Following the opening of the shared kitchen and shared office, a youth dining startup platform, and the Haenam Social Community Support Center in May, the opening of the youth center is accelerating plans to develop the Haenamcheon area, which runs through the center of Haenam-eup, into a youth street concentrated with youth-related facilities.
In the second half of the year, youth-led community revitalization projects, such as youth cultural festivals centered around youth facilities, are also expected to gain momentum.
In the old downtown of Haenam-eup, Haenam Cinema and the Youth Nurim Culture Center opened in July, and the Haenam-eup Urban Regeneration New Deal Project targeting the area near the daily market and the 5-day market is underway until 2024, expected to be a groundbreaking opportunity for revitalizing the old downtown.
The opening ceremony was attended by youth from the Haenam Youth Policy Council, County Governor Myeong Hyeon-gwan, National Assembly member Yoon Jae-gap, former Jeonnam Vice Governor Moon Geum-ju, Haenam County Council Chairman Kim Byeong-deok, and county council members, serving as a celebration and encouragement event supporting the dreams of youth.
Director Gong Nam-im of the Haenam Local Culture Creator Research Institute and Yoon Young-ha, CEO of the rural education farm ‘Nongchon-eul Damda,’ represented Haenam youth with a case presentation titled ‘My Wise Youth Life,’ providing an opportunity to understand the lives of youth living in this era, drawing attention.
Attendees held a plaque ceremony titled ‘Youth, We Support Your Beautiful Selves’ to celebrate the youth dream ceremony and announced the vigorous start of the youth center.
Governor Myeong Hyeon-gwan said, “The Haenam Youth Dodream Center will serve as a space where any youth can communicate and engage in activities, playing a vital role as a platform supporting the exchange and growth of our local youth,” adding, “The county will also do its best to provide various support for the stable settlement of youth and the influx of the younger generation.”
Haenam=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun kh0424@asiae.co.kr
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