Bill Proposed to Gradually Raise Youth Age from 34 to 39
Kim: "Ruling Party's Election Pledge... Hopes to Help Address Youth Issues"
A bill to raise the age definition of youth has been proposed.
On the 13th, Kim Moonsoo, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea representing Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong, and Gurye (Gap), proposed a revision to the "Framework Act on Youth," which would gradually increase the legal age of youth to 39 by raising it one year annually from the date of promulgation.
This amendment reflects the increasing demand for youth policies as the age of employment, marriage, and childbirth rises among young people, as well as changes in social perceptions of youth due to increased life expectancy and aging.
According to Statistics Korea, the youth employment rate in 2023 was 46.5%. The average age at first marriage was 33.97 years for men and 31.45 years for women, while the average age for women at the birth of their first child was 32.96 years.
Youth employment was 22.7% lower than the overall rate of 69.2%. The average age at first marriage increased by 5.87 years for men and 6.45 years for women compared to 1993, and the age for women at the birth of their first child was delayed by 6.73 years.
This bill is also expected to help prevent institutional confusion.
Currently, the age range for youth support policies varies from 34 to 39. As a result, youth applicants face difficulties in accessing support, and confusion arises among government ministries.
Some point out that the current Framework Act on Youth does not adequately reflect reality, leading to different age criteria across ministries.
Kim Moonsoo stated, "Since the ruling party pledged this bill as an election promise in the last general election, I hope its passage will help young people build assets, address housing issues, and ultimately contribute to solving the low birth rate problem."
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