Seongdong-gu Supports Youth Independence with Hometown Love Donation Designated Contributions

Starting November, Fundraising for Designated Donation Project to Support Self-Reliant Youth Aging Out of Childcare Facilities and Foster Homes
Monthly Support of 500,000 KRW for 33 Youth Aged 22 Whose Government Assistance Ends, with a Fundraising Goal of 78 Million KRW for This Year
Donations Up to 5 Million KRW per Person Eligible for Year-End Tax Deduction and 30% Gift Return, Expecting to Promote Donation Culture

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that it will create a stable foundation for young people’s social independence through the Hometown Love Donation Designated Fund Project.

Many young people are going through difficult times due to concerns about the future such as employment and marriage, combined with socio-economic factors like the economic downturn. In particular, youth preparing for independence who have been under the protection of child care facilities or foster families and whose protection ends at age 18 (or 24 if extended) often face difficulties in becoming independent because they are not sufficiently prepared for independent living after protection ends.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare provides independence allowances to youth aged 18 to 22 who have aged out of facilities or foster care, and local governments also support settlement funds for independence. However, moving costs and monthly rent remain a significant burden for young people.

Accordingly, Seongdong-gu has decided to promote the “Independent Youth Support Project” as a designated donation project under the Hometown Love Donation system so that young people can reduce their economic burden and focus on their studies and employment activities in a stable residential environment. The designated donation under the Hometown Love Donation system allows donors to choose a project from those pre-selected by local governments to which they want their donations to be allocated.

After approval by the district council in October, the district added designated donations to the Hometown Love Donation operating fund and plans to use the donations as independence support funds for youth. The district plans to provide monthly support of 500,000 KRW for one year starting from the year the youth turn 22, when government support ends. Starting with 13 youth turning 22 in 2025, followed by 10 in 2026 and 6 in 2027, a total of 33 youth will be supported sequentially. To this end, the district set a fundraising target of 78 million KRW for this year.

Donors can contribute up to 5 million KRW per person, and upon donation, they receive a year-end tax credit and a gift equivalent to 30% of the donation amount. Seongdong-gu offers local gift certificates such as Seongdong Love Gift Certificates and Seongsu Local Love Gift Certificates (Hot Place Pass), as well as wristwatches and individually engraved pens as gifts for the Hometown Love Donation.

Since October, reflecting the local characteristics of Seongdong-gu and discovering companies actively operating within the district, a more diverse range of gifts has been introduced. Woodcraft and jade craft products from workshops centered in Seongsu-dong have been added, and the district plans to continuously expand unique gifts exclusive to Seongdong-gu.

Additionally, from the end of this year, a private platform will be introduced. Currently, donations are only possible through ‘Hometown Love e-um,’ but the district plans to expand to private platforms to promote donation activity.

Meanwhile, to support youth independence, the district enacted the “Independent Youth Support Ordinance” in 2022 and has been implementing the “Seongdong-type Independent Youth Support Project” since last year. Youth preparing for independence who have lived continuously for more than six months in Seongdong-gu before aging out receive a one-time settlement fund of 1 million KRW and an additional monthly independence allowance of 100,000 KRW, separate from government support.

Furthermore, the district is promoting the “Seongdong-type Independent Youth Strong Care Support Project” to help youth preparing for independence develop independence capabilities and settle stably in society. The target has been expanded to include pre-independent youth (ages 15?17), providing up to 1.5 million KRW for education expenses to support career exploration and offering daily life mentoring programs.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “We support young people to become healthy members of society and hope many will participate in the Hometown Love Donation designated donation project. We will do our best to ensure that the Hometown Love Donation system is further activated, not only leading the local economy but also serving as a focal point for spreading a culture of giving.”