Seoul Youth Hub Completes Five Major Support Projects for Isolated and Reclusive Youth

Discovery of 120 Isolated and Reclusive Youths After COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Youth Hub announced on the 29th that it has promoted a comprehensive support project in various fields as a pilot project this year to support policy design for the social advancement of isolated and reclusive youth. This includes discovering at-risk youth through institutional linkage, establishing support systems by type, building community cooperation networks, and supporting relationship-building activities.

Specifically, in response to the increase in youth experiencing social isolation after COVID-19, the project aimed to help vulnerable youth in blind spots around us (such as isolated, reclusive, and those preparing for independence) to enter society stably by providing ▲ professional psychological counseling ▲ creating activity spaces for isolated and reclusive youth ▲ establishing community collaboration networks ▲ hosting global seminars ▲ conducting surveys and research projects, thereby presenting policy outcomes.

First, in collaboration with related training and counseling institutions such as the Solution Center, Youth Connection Central Center, and Blue Whale Recovery Center, 120 isolated and reclusive youth in the community were directly identified and supported with customized psychological counseling and small group activities to encourage their willingness and courage to build social relationships.

Additionally, to satisfy the social relationship needs revealed during psychological counseling and to restore the will to overcome isolation and enter society, a base called Malangmalang Meeting Place (Party With Us: 73-1 Bulgwang-ro, 2nd floor, Eunpyeong-gu) was established in Eunpyeong-gu last August, providing youth self-help groups, psychological counseling, and experiential vitality programs.

A social care foundation through community collaboration was also established. First, Eunpyeong-gu, where the Youth Hub is located, was selected as a pilot area, and on the 14th of this month, the 'Eunpyeong-gu Support Network for Vulnerable Youth in Blind Spots' agreement ceremony was held. The agreement involved 24 public and private institutions including Eunpyeong-gu Office, mental health welfare centers, medical institutions, social welfare centers, fire stations, and welfare foundations, who agreed to join forces to support youth weakened by isolation and unemployment in the area.

Along with this, a global web seminar was held to examine the global status of isolated and reclusive youth and policy cases by country and city, aiming to discover domestic policy models. From May to September this year, the seminar was divided into three parts by topic (Part 1: Joint response to isolation and loneliness, Part 2: Responding to social isolation through welfare technology, Part 3: Youth isolation and reclusion after the pandemic ? policy and methodological shifts), expanding the scope of discussion through expert presentations and debates on each issue.

Finally, policy research on support methods for isolated and reclusive youth was conducted concurrently. To present specific methodologies, focused research on voucher-type support plans was carried out, including surveys on the current status of isolation and reclusion, case interviews with policy stakeholders, and proposals for voucher models, deriving policy implications for customized services that meet youth needs.

The Seoul Youth Hub plans to continue proposing policies that include building social safety nets and comprehensive, practical support plans to discover and support vulnerable youth in blind spots caused by various social issues.

Meanwhile, as a support project for isolation and reclusion policies this year, Seoul City is operating support programs (including counseling, case management, career exploration support, self-help groups, and hobby activities) for 1,200 isolated and reclusive youth, and is conducting surveys such as online panel surveys and interviews with participants. The results of this year’s project and the five pilot projects of the Youth Hub will be combined to refine Seoul City’s policies for the full social advancement of isolated and reclusive youth in 2023.

Kim Cheol-hee, head of the Seoul Future Youth Planning Group, said, “In approaching the issue of at-risk youth, which requires the greatest attention from both the public and the community, we will make continuous efforts not only to improve social awareness for respect and recognition of youth but also to ensure that youth themselves receive and are satisfied with various support policies for fulfilling social roles and achieving independence.”