[Exclusive] Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Which Promised Cooperation with 'Neulbom School', Cuts 1.1 Billion Won from Youth After-School Budget

Youth Training Facility Operation Budget Cut by 2.5 Billion Won
Two Consecutive Years of Budget Reduction for Youth Activities
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family: "Restructuring for Fiscal Austerity"
Youth Organizations: "Concerns Over Shrinking Youth Programs"

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has reportedly cut the budget for operating after-school academies for youth by approximately 1.1 billion KRW, citing fiscal austerity. The budget for supporting youth training facility operations was also reduced by about 2.5 billion KRW, significantly decreasing funding related to youth activities for the second consecutive year. With the nationwide implementation of 'Neulbom School' in elementary schools starting this year, concerns have been raised that support for activities targeting upper-grade and vulnerable youth may be weakened.

Promised Cooperation but 'Budget Cuts'

According to the 'Ministry of Gender Equality and Family 2025 Budget Proposal and Fund Operation Plan Project Explanation Materials' received by Rep. Im Mi-ae of the Democratic Party on the 10th, the budget for supporting after-school youth activities decreased by 1.098 billion KRW (3.5%) from 31.485 billion KRW this year to 30.387 billion KRW next year. Detailed breakdowns indicate reductions in funding for meal expenses and program support.

Currently, the Ministry and local governments provide support such as experiential activities, supplementary learning, and meals for vulnerable youth groups including low-income, grandparent-headed, single-parent, and multicultural families, as well as youth in care blind spots. The support targets youth from 4th grade in elementary school to 3rd grade in middle school, operating for at least four hours daily from after school until 9 p.m. As of December last year, after-school academies are operated at a total of 350 public youth facilities.

Press release of the Neulbom School Pan-Government Support Headquarters meeting on March 28. [Source: Ministry of Education]

As the government has promoted inter-ministerial cooperation to implement Neulbom School in all elementary schools nationwide starting this year, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family previously expressed intentions to link after-school youth academies with youth training facility education. According to the press release from the '4th Neulbom School Inter-Ministerial Support Headquarters Meeting' held on March 28, the Ministry selected 'linkage with after-school youth academies' and 'linked education with youth training facilities' as possible Neulbom School collaboration tasks and pledged to immediately promote and expand these in April. The Ministry also stated plans to expand after-school academies to 355 locations by the end of this year and strengthen cooperation with Neulbom School.

However, in next year’s budget proposal, the budget for operating youth training facilities was cut from 6.738 billion KRW to 4.189 billion KRW, a reduction of about 2.549 billion KRW (37.8%). A detailed look shows that the budget for supporting the placement of youth instructors was reduced from 5.717 billion KRW to 3.533 billion KRW, a cut of 2.184 billion KRW (38.2%).

[Source: Office of Im Mi-ae, Democratic Party of Korea]

Youth instructors are specialized personnel who plan and operate youth training activity programs and guide youth at public youth training facilities. Since 2003, instructors have been placed and operated as part of the government’s job creation projects. Additionally, the budget for private consignment projects to strengthen cooperation and support development of youth training facilities was cut from 79 million KRW to 71 million KRW, a reduction of about 8 million KRW (10.1%).

Youth Activity Budget Cut for Two Consecutive Years

Shin Young-sook, Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family, visited the Manan Youth After-School Academy in Anyang City on the afternoon of April 30 to encourage the staff and listen to on-site opinions to strengthen support for youth activities.
[Photo by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family]

The Ministry’s reduction of the youth activity budget appears to be influenced by the government’s fiscal austerity policy for next year. A Ministry official explained in a phone interview that "in the case of after-school academies (meal and program expenses), the budget was cut to reinvest in major projects," and regarding the youth training facility budget, "due to the fiscal austerity policy, structural adjustments were necessary, reducing the national subsidy rate from 50% to 30%."

Last year, the Ministry also cut major youth participation and support budgets in the 2024 budget proposal. The budget items cut then included 3.82 billion KRW for youth activity budgets, 3.4 billion KRW for school violence prevention programs, 2.63 billion KRW for youth policy participation support, 1.27 billion KRW for youth labor rights protection, and 560 million KRW for adult rights education.

Regarding this, the Ministry stated in last month’s budget briefing that "there was no budget restored to its original state from the youth-related budgets cut last year," and "new projects such as specialized youth projects in population decline areas were developed and reflected, mainly focusing on vulnerable youth." Newly budgeted projects in next year’s proposal include ▲Child Support Enforcement Fund (16.2 billion KRW) ▲Youth Growth Support in Population Decline Areas (550 million KRW), among others.

Concerns on the Ground Over Shrinking Activities for Vulnerable Youth

On the ground, there are concerns that repeated budget cuts may shrink youth activities. The Korea Youth Instructor Association stated regarding the after-school academy operating budget, "If after-school academy programs are reduced or abolished, it could lose trust in the local community and weaken the holistic growth and education of vulnerable youth who need support the most."

Regarding the youth training facility operating budget, they added, "If national subsidies decrease due to government budget cuts, local governments are not obligated to allocate budgets, so many youth projects could be reduced or abolished. Following last year, the government is again pushing budget cuts without gathering opinions from youth sectors nationwide, continuing the crisis of shrinking activities for youth, the future generation."

Rep. Im Mi-ae criticized, "While the Yoon Seok-yeol administration emphasizes care for 1st graders in elementary school, on the other hand, it is drastically cutting budgets for upper-grade elementary and vulnerable youth, showing inconsistency in words and actions. Cutting youth budgets under the pretext of tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations is tantamount to giving up on the future."