"Supplementing Monthly Rent and Providing Health Checkups"... District Office Focuses on Youth

Eunpyeong-gu Youth Policy Basic Plan Announced... Budget Also Increased
Dobong-gu Youth Employment Support Center to Open This May

Seoul's autonomous districts are putting great effort into discovering youth policies. Oh Eun-seok, the mayor of Dobong-gu, is visiting the construction site of the 'Dobong-gu Youth Employment Support Center' to check the progress.
(Photo by Dobong-gu Office)

More local governments are expanding support for the youth. Although the proportion of young people is decreasing due to aging and other factors, there is a growing recognition that expanding youth support is essential to securing a vibrant urban competitiveness, leading to increased efforts to develop youth policies.

Eunpyeong-gu is the most proactive in youth support policies, recently establishing and announcing the "Youth Policy Basic Plan (2024?2028)." The related budget has also increased more than threefold, from 2.7 billion KRW to 9.1 billion KRW.

The Youth Policy Basic Plan is a systematic and efficient mid- to long-term plan for youth support, consisting of five areas and 12 core tasks: jobs and startups, housing and living, culture and leisure, participation and space, and independence and welfare.

Accordingly, the “Eunpyeong-type Youth Monthly Rent Support Project” will be promoted, providing up to 200,000 KRW per month for a maximum of 12 months in monthly rent support to single-person households with relatively low income (below 150% of the median income). The existing “Eunpyeong-type Youth Monthly Rent Support Project” has been improved in terms of support scale and rental deposit limits to expand the support target.

Dongjak-gu is providing free health checkups for young people living alone starting this year. Free health checkups for youth are already being implemented in several local governments, considering that single-person households in their 20s and 30s may neglect health management due to employment, studies, and busy work life. The goal is to help detect and manage chronic diseases early. The checkup includes a total of 46 items such as blood tests.

Additionally, Dongjak-gu offers a “Jeon/Monthly Rent Contract Assistance Service” to help university students and young workers living alone settle into stable housing. Licensed real estate agents with expertise are appointed as Housing Safety Managers to provide services such as contract consultation, pre-consultation on housing, and accompaniment for housing safety.

Dobong-gu is the first district in Seoul to create a youth-exclusive space called the “Dobong-gu Youth Employment Support Center” within the district office building. Part of the space previously used as the district treasury on the first floor of the district office and some leftover spaces are being remodeled for this purpose.

Construction began in November last year, with completion targeted for March this year and opening in May. Of the 735 million KRW budget required for construction, 700 million KRW was secured through a special grant from Seoul City.

The Dobong-gu Youth Employment Support Center will include video interview rooms, suit rental rooms, interview photo studios, professional counseling rooms, and study spaces. Dobong-gu listened to the voices of young people and reviewed the design from multiple angles.

Furthermore, Dobong-gu plans to offer various special lectures such as economic and financial education and SNS utilization training for young workers, as well as customized one-on-one professional counseling on employment, housing, welfare, and mental health for youth.