The 'We Do Us: 2024 Changwon Youth Week Event' in Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, concluded with enthusiastic participation from 2,000 attendees.
In celebration of Youth Day on September 21, Changwon City, together with the Changwon Youth Vision Center, hosted the event from September 20 to 28.
During the opening ceremony, commendation plaques were awarded to outstanding youths, and Deputy Mayor Cho Myungrae, along with other dignitaries and members of the Changwon Youth Network, held a performance aimed at designating Changwon as a youth-friendly city.
On the 28th, at the Youth Song Festival 'Youth Music Track' held on the lawn square in front of the Gyeongnam Provincial Residents' House, eight teams from Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, who made it through preliminary rounds, showcased their talents in the finals.
Participants of the 3rd Youth Night Run in Robot Land are running after hearing the start signal during the DEUX: 2024 Changwon Youth Week event. [Photo by Changwon Special City Hall]
That evening, at the 3rd Youth Night Run in Robot Land, 1,000 participants, including young people and families, joined a 5km run around the Gyeongnam Masan Robot Land area, and enjoyed side events such as a DJ performance and fireworks show.
Sponge Park, located in Yongho-dong, Seongsan-gu, was filled with youth artist-planned performances and cultural experience programs in celebration of Sponge Day in September.
Additionally, the event featured a talk concert by Song Kilyoung, a big data expert and author of 'Era Forecast: The Age of the Nuclear Individual' (former Vice President of Vibe Company); the Youth Competency Academy; one-day classes; a special lecture by YouTuber Fitvely; and participation in regional youth events such as Jinhae Youth Holiday, attracting a total of about 2,000 people from the first day.
Deputy Mayor Cho, who attended the event, said, "I would like to thank the youths and citizens who planned and participated to make the 2024 Youth Week event a great success. Just like the event slogan 'We Do Us,' we will continue to expand youth participation in policy, implement various youth policies for empowerment and rights enhancement, and work together with young people to address challenges and create a better future and a youth-friendly city, providing full support and effort."
At the DEUX: 2024 Changwon Youth Week event, participants including Jo Myungrae, the 2nd Deputy Mayor (fifth from the left), are taking a commemorative photo at the Youth Song Festival. Photo by Changwon Special City Hall
Changwon City is taking a proactive approach to secure designation as a youth-friendly city, a system being implemented for the first time this year to prevent the outflow of the youth population.
The youth-friendly city system, newly introduced this year by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, plans to designate up to three regions annually out of 228 local governments nationwide, including special autonomous cities and provinces.
After recommendations from metropolitan governments, a document review and on-site evaluation will be conducted, with the final designation results to be announced in December.
Once designated as a youth-friendly city, administrative and financial support will be provided for five years.
To this end, Changwon City has established legal systems for youth development and support, enacting the ordinance for creating a youth-friendly city in March this year?the first in Gyeongnam Province?and the ordinance for supporting socially isolated youth in July last year.
This year, the city is focusing on establishing the foundation for youth-friendly policies and services by allocating a budget of 39.9 billion KRW to 72 projects across five sectors, including jobs, education, housing, and culture.
Previously, Mayor Hong Nam-pyo stated, "Based on these ordinances, we will establish and implement customized youth policies and focus administrative efforts to make Changwon a city that attracts young people."
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