Dunamu Supports Self-Reliant Youth's Social Settlement with Customized Internship Programs

‘Dunamu Next JOB’ Project Established to Support Employment
510 Youth Preparing for Independence Selected Annually for 5 Years

Dunamu, the operator of the domestic virtual asset exchange Upbit, has established the 'Dunamu Next JOB (NextJob)' program for youth preparing for independence, aiming to support their successful integration into society.

Lee Seok-woo, CEO of Dunamu, gave a mini lecture on the theme of 'Young Lee Seok-woo.' Photo by Dunamu

According to Dunamu, NextJob plans to select 510 youths annually for five years starting with the first cohort this year, providing job support for youth preparing for independence. Youth preparing for independence refers to those within five years of leaving child welfare facilities after turning 18.

NextJob is divided into three types: internship support (200 people), startup support (10 teams), and financial education (300 people). A total fund of 3 billion KRW will be raised, and a job experience internship system will be established in cooperation with social economy enterprises. Dunamu will support wages for companies providing jobs, while social solidarity bank and Brothers Keeper will be responsible for education and mentoring.

Unlike typical internships, NextJob considers that youth preparing for independence require longer social adaptation periods and need emotional support and proper economic mindset formation. The fixed-term internships are divided into 3-month, 5-month, and 1-year formats according to the individual preferences and readiness of the youth. During the internship, mentoring and network formation by senior youth who have prepared for independence will provide emotional stability, and a financial education program will be conducted to offer practical help in asset formation and financial management.

For the first NextJob internship recruitment this year, over 80 companies expressed their intention to participate. After due diligence and interviews, 42 companies from various fields such as architecture, design, and education were finally selected. The onboarding training, which marks the start of NextJob this year and supports new employees' adaptation to the organization, was held on June 12.

Lee Seok-woo, CEO of Dunamu, gave a mini-lecture titled 'Youth Lee Seok-woo.' He explained his diverse career and emphasized, "The happiest life is when what you love, want to do, and are good at converge into one, which is 'Deok-eop-ilchi' (alignment of passion and profession)." Youth preparing for independence participating in the first NextJob cohort expressed their expectations, saying, "This new experience will be a process of finding the true me."