[Welfare Advanced Nation 2030 - Part 2] ② "It's too hard to live after leaving care, and there's nowhere to return to"

"Unable to Say 'Please Support Me' in Reality"

About 50% of Youth Preparing for Independence Consider Suicide
Three Times Higher Than Overall Youth Level

Fear of Leaving if They Show Struggles
Unable to Open Up Due to Worries
"Family Bonding Does Not Resonate"

Editor's NoteIs South Korea a developed country? In the 'Welfare Advanced Country 2030' project, which was prepared to explore the 'direction of developed countries' through National Assembly legislation, following the previous 'Part 1 - People with Developmental Disabilities' episode, this time we addressed 'children suffering from food insecurity' and 'youth aging out of care (young adults preparing for independence).' We examine the winter of children who have to worry about every meal during school vacations when school meals stop, and the winter of youth aging out of child care facilities who must face adulthood unprepared, and seek legislative and response measures at the National Assembly level.

On December 24 last year, President Yoon Suk-yeol (then the People Power Party presidential candidate) took a commemorative photo with young adults who had left childcare facilities after volunteering to distribute side dishes at the Gora Rights Solidarity office on Bu-il-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul. On the far left is Cho Yoon-hwan, the representative of Gora Rights Solidarity. 2021.12.24 Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers [Image source=Yonhap News]

"Once you feel like you want to lean on someone, you end up leaning indefinitely. Since many friends have nowhere to rely on, if someone treats them a little well, it turns out that way, but it can actually become a more difficult situation."

Yoon Biseul (26, Gangseo-gu, Seoul), who has been out of a child welfare facility for four years, recalled a recent news report that a pastor who served as the CEO of an independence center for youth aging out of care habitually sexually assaulted and abused children. The pastor established the center under the pretext of supporting the independence of children who left the welfare center but is under police investigation for allegedly holding drinking parties every night and sexually assaulting children.

"Unlike friends who have families, it’s very sad for us that even if we are tired from work, we have nowhere to go immediately. Sometimes I want to say, 'Life is so hard, please support me,' but there is nowhere I can say that. I especially felt this after leaving the facility."

According to the '2020 Survey on the Independence Status and Needs of Youth Aging Out of Care' conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, among 3,104 young adults preparing for independence, about 50%, or 1,552, answered that they had 'thought about suicide at least once.' This is more than three times higher than the 16.3% found in the '2018 Suicide Survey' conducted among all youth aged 19 to 29.

Yoon, who grew up in a facility from the 6th grade of elementary school, has one year left in the post-care management period. Youth aging out of care, who have no guardian or whose guardians cannot raise them, are children raised in child welfare facilities and can receive government support for up to five years after leaving the facility as young adults preparing for independence. Usually, they leave the facility around age 18, or if attending university, by around age 22 at the latest, so five years is a tight timeframe for these young adults to become fully independent.

"It’s hard to settle down anywhere within five years after leaving the facility. I left at 22 while attending university, but even if I saved some money, nowadays you need billions of won to rent a jeonse deposit, right? Now, with one year left, I’m increasingly worried about how to gather a lump sum and manage living expenses. I know the country can’t protect us forever, but honestly, I’m very worried."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at a meeting with youth preparing for independence held at the Hope Didimdol Chungnam Center, a self-reliance support agency in Asan-si, Chungnam, on September 13. 2022.9.13 Photo by the Presidential Office Press Photographers Group [Image source=Yonhap News]

Former President Moon Jae-in is delivering a greeting at a luncheon meeting with young adults preparing for independence held at the Blue House on February 10. 2022.2.10 Photo by Yonhap News

Youth who have aged out of care often get scammed or quickly spend most of the support money they receive for living expenses. Yoon said, "Even if they leave with 20 million won, most spend it all within a year," and added, "There are really struggling friends around me who become credit delinquents, and even if their salary goes into their bank account, it’s immediately taken by lending companies."

After graduating from university, Yoon was employed at a company related to her major but recently chose a completely different major and applied to university again. She said, "Maybe because I didn’t have opportunities to meet adults, I couldn’t understand what adults said at work. When I quit the company, I actually wanted to get a new job, but I was too scared to go to work," and added, "Thinking of starting university again honestly made me feel relieved."

In the interview, Yoon repeatedly said, "I was lucky." She said she was fortunate to receive a lot of support from the government and foundations. Other friends don’t even know about the support funds, and even when they can apply for support after leaving, some give up on receiving support because they have poor relationships with teachers and find it difficult to contact the facility. Usually, Yoon does not show her struggles openly, to the extent that people say she "seems worry-free" and "always bright." This emotional restraint stems from a habit formed out of fear that if she reveals her hardships, someone might cut ties with her.

"Usually, family is felt as a warm and affectionate word. Even if we fight, family understands and stays together, but since I don’t have such a family, I grew up learning not to show when I was sick or struggling. I know very well that showing it is useless. When meeting anyone, I have a strong thought that I must be able to live fine even if this person is not near me, so I always put up walls and couldn’t share emotions well. To me, family is something that requires effort to maintain. Honestly, I don’t really get the feeling of family bonding."