[Lost Youth②] Left Home Due to Domestic Violence... No Shelters in 16 Districts of Seoul

72.1% of Youth Using Shelters and Self-Reliance Centers Report "Experiencing Physical Violence"
Shelters Concentrated in Certain Areas... Gangnam-gu Shelter Closed
Youth Traveling from Seoul to Cheonan to Find Shelters
Youth Dropping Out of School Fall into Poverty Vicious Cycle

[Editor's Note] It has been exactly 30 years since the first youth shelter was established in South Korea in 1992. The Seoul YMCA set up the first youth shelter with the goal of preventing delinquency among out-of-home youth and providing emergency living support and education. Over the past 30 years, the number of youth shelters has increased to 158 and has gradually developed. However, there is still a long way to go. Many out-of-home youth still cannot adapt to the shelters or face a shortage of spaces, leaving them abandoned on the streets. Although unwilling, some resort to prostitution to avoid starvation. This article aims to shed light on the reality of out-of-home youth, which adults have deliberately ignored or exploited, and to seek alternatives.

Most out-of-home youth leave their homes after experiencing domestic violence. When they have nowhere to go, they start looking for available spaces in youth shelters. However, due to the severe shortage and uneven distribution of youth shelters, out-of-home youth have had to give up their studies and travel long distances.

According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the 13th, among youth who ran away last year, 69.5% cited ‘conflicts with family’ and 28.0% cited ‘escaping family violence’ as reasons for running away. Among youth who used youth shelters and self-reliance support centers last year, 72.1% reported experiencing physical violence at home, and 72.9% reported verbal abuse, indicating continued exposure to domestic violence.

A 17-year-old out-of-home youth, A, said, “I had severe conflicts with my parents over my school grades. During this process, I was continuously exposed to serious verbal abuse,” adding, “Being with my parents made me have negative thoughts constantly, and I felt so distressed that I thought I couldn’t live.”

However, there is a shortage of youth shelters for them to turn to. As of December this year, there are 138 youth shelters nationwide with a total capacity of 1,405. Last year, the total number of runaway youth was 23,133, which is 16 times more than the capacity of youth shelters. Although the government budget for next year includes one more youth shelter, totaling 139, it is still far from sufficient.

Shortage and Uneven Distribution of Youth Shelters... Giving Up School to Find Shelters

The regional balance is also off. In some areas, there are no youth shelters at all, forcing out-of-home youth to cross into other regions. In Seoul, many districts have no youth shelters secured.

Districts in Seoul without any youth shelters that offer stays of temporary (up to 7 days), short-term (up to 9 months), or mid-to-long-term (up to 3 years) accommodation include Gangnam-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Guro-gu, Nowon-gu, Dobong-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, Dongjak-gu, Mapo-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Seocho-gu, Seongdong-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Songpa-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Jongno-gu, and Jung-gu ? totaling 16 districts. Gangdong-gu, Gangbuk-gu, Yangcheon-gu, Yongsan-gu, and Jungnang-gu each have one shelter, while Gangseo-gu, Gwanak-gu, Geumcheon-gu, and Eunpyeong-gu each have two shelters.

The Gangnam District Youth Short-Term Shelter, which had been operating since 1998, closed at the end of last year after the Taehwa Welfare Foundation ended its consignment operation. Although the Taehwa Welfare Foundation expressed willingness to take over again, Gangnam-gu maintained its position to keep it closed. The Gangnam District Council also stated that there is no problem since other districts have shelters.

Out-of-home youth travel far from their schools to find shelters. Some youth who attended schools in Seoul had to go as far as Cheonan in Chungnam Province due to the lack of shelters in Seoul. Since they cannot transfer schools without parental consent, they end up not attending school at all. B, 22, a former out-of-home youth, pointed out, “Out-of-home youth consider giving up school a natural step once they start looking for shelters. Although there is an opportunity to take the GED, out-of-home youth who have to worry about immediate survival money cannot focus on their studies. They fall into a vicious cycle of poverty due to lack of proper education.”

Heo Min-sook, a researcher at the National Assembly Legislative Research Office, explained, “The current status of youth shelters clearly shows how lightly the national and local governments regard the issue of out-of-home youth,” adding, “Ultimately, protecting youth from domestic violence is essential to prevent the vicious cycle of problems from repeating.”