'Visiting Youth Street Counseling' Until August 2 for Summer Vacation

Conducted at Over 80 Locations Including Gwangalli, Eulwangri, and Sokcho

Seoul Municipal Sillim Short- and Long-Term Youth Shelter is conducting a counseling broadcast for youth. (Photo by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will conduct 'visiting street counseling' to identify out-of-home youth early and protect them safely during the summer vacation and holiday season.

On the 27th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that 313 organizations and 1,224 workers, including youth shelters, youth counseling welfare centers, local governments, and police stations, will participate in street counseling held at more than 80 locations nationwide, such as downtown areas and youth-dense regions, until August 2.

Street counseling takes place from the afternoon, when youth are mainly active, until around midnight, using counseling-dedicated mobile buses and outdoor counseling spaces (booths). It provides counseling for concerns, support for returning home, and connects at-risk youth to professional counseling and protective facilities such as shelters. Activities to improve awareness of out-of-home youth and various experiential programs are also operated.

Uijeongbu Temporary Youth Shelter conducting outreach street counseling activities last summer (Photo by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family)

Various experiential programs are operated by region. The Osan City Women's Short-Term Youth Shelter runs a 'Worry Drying Rack' promotional booth where youth and parents share their concerns. Seoul City’s Sillim Short-Term Youth Shelter and others also conduct non-face-to-face counseling through Facebook and YouTube live broadcasts, allowing youth to participate in real time.

Detailed schedules, locations, and program contents for street counseling at local shelters can be found on the 'Jariphaenaem' app, which provides self-reliance support information for out-of-home youth.

Kim Gwonyoung, Youth Policy Officer at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, said, "We will continue to make efforts to build a dense youth safety net by early identifying out-of-home youth through visiting street counseling and providing professional counseling and customized services."