Youth Dream Support 'Gap Year Program' Sets Sail… Kim Dong-yeon "Freely Pursue Your Dreams"

Orientation for Participants of the Gyeonggi Youth Gap Year Program Held on the 30th

Gyeonggi Province has officially launched the Youth Gap Year Program, a 12-week initiative supporting the dreams of young people.

On the 30th, Gyeonggi Province held an orientation for participants of the ‘2024 Gyeonggi Youth Gap Year Program’ at the Yeonam Hall auditorium of Ajou University in Suwon. A total of 903 young people attended the event.

Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province attended the orientation and said, "When I was young, I did not have the opportunity to find or challenge my dreams. I mistook the path set by others, the path society deemed good, as my own dream." He urged, "I hope you fully enjoy the process of finding what you want to do so that you do not make the same mistake. I also hope you experience small successes, failures, and frustrations."

When a participant who dreams of becoming a politician asked Governor Kim about his ultimate goal, he replied, "Your dream is a noun, ‘politician,’ but I think the verb form would be different. I had a dream in the form of a verb." He added, "Changing the world, overturning the political arena, changing the economic framework, reforming the education system?these are my goals as a politician."

The event was held simultaneously in two locations using a dual live broadcast system, dividing the southern region (Ajou University) and the northern region (Northern Government Complex), improving convenience for young people living in the northern area by eliminating the need to travel south to participate.

Additionally, the program featured a gap year invitation video sent by senior participants from 2023, hologram performances by 2023 participants, and Compass Talks, utilizing 3D hologram technology to facilitate interactive communication beyond location constraints.

The Gyeonggi Youth Gap Year Program is a flagship youth policy of Governor Kim Dong-yeon’s 8th administration, aimed at providing ‘more equitable opportunities’ to young people. It offers 800 youths the chance to explore what they want to do and design their future through challenges.

Launched for the first time last year, the program expanded this year from 200 to 800 participants based on high satisfaction levels. Considering dropouts, 880 candidates (110%) were planned to be selected, but due to many ties at the cutoff score, 903 young people were given the opportunity to participate.

After completing the project design phase called ‘Exploration and Discovery,’ 800 participants will be finalized through a mid-term evaluation to proceed with the 12-week projects.

Among the projects selected by the chosen youths, the fields with the most teams include design, education, music, film and drama, and information technology (IT) and software (SW).

The approximately 900 young participants shared with Governor Kim Dong-yeon their motivations for joining the program, project plans, and expectations.