Establishing an Institutional Foundation with the 2022 Ordinance
Since 2023, Providing a One-Time Settlement Grant of 1 Million Won and a Monthly Self-Reliance Allowance of 100,000 Won Upon Leaving Care
From This Year, Proactive Support: Up to 500,000 Won Per Month for Up to 12 Months for Young Adults Within One Year After Government Support Ends
Raising Funds Through the Hometown Love Donation Program
Seongdong District (District Mayor: Jung Won-oh) is launching the “Seongdong-Style Self-Reliance Support Package Project” to help young adults preparing for independence to settle stably into society.
“Young adults preparing for independence” refers to individuals who, after being cared for in child welfare facilities or foster families, must begin living on their own once protection ends at age 18 (or 24 if protection is extended). In particular, those within five years of leaving care often face difficulties continuing their studies or finding employment due to weak financial foundations.
In response, the district is proactively implementing a comprehensive support package for these young adults, covering livelihood, finances, housing, employment, and emotional well-being, to ensure their successful integration into society.
First, in 2022, Seongdong District enacted an ordinance to support young adults preparing for independence, establishing an institutional foundation for these individuals. Based on this, since 2023, the district has been running the “Seongdong-Style Support Project for Young Adults Preparing for Independence.” Separate from government support, the district provides a one-time settlement grant of 1 million won upon leaving care, along with an additional monthly self-reliance allowance of 100,000 won to support financial independence.
Furthermore, since November last year, the district has proactively launched the “Seongdong-Style Extended Self-Reliance Allowance Support Project” using funds raised through the Hometown Love Donation Program. For those whose government self-reliance allowance ended less than a year ago and who have maintained their address in Seongdong District for at least six consecutive months, the district provides 500,000 won per month for up to one year, starting from the month after government support ends.
Starting in 2025, the district plans to sequentially support young adults whose government self-reliance allowance is ending. Applications can be submitted by bringing an ID and a copy of a bankbook to the Seongdong District Office’s Department of Children and Youth or to a local community center.
Driven by public interest and encouragement for these young adults, the district raised a total of 114.63 million won through the Hometown Love Donation Program in just two months, far exceeding the initial target of 78 million won.
In addition to livelihood support such as the self-reliance allowance, the district also operates economic support programs in collaboration with the Seongdong District Youth Support Center, including housing independence and asset management. To address housing issues, the district provides ongoing information on youth housing policies and rental housing, offers space solutions through consulting, and hosts furniture remodeling experiences. The district also supports financial planning and credit management to help young adults establish a solid financial foundation. Emotional support programs, such as on-site mentoring, are also offered to promote psychological well-being.
The district also runs employment support programs in collaboration with Seoul Youth Center Seongdong. These include the “Youth Challenge Support Project,” which provides career planning, job competency training, and post-program management, as well as the “Youth Instructor Development” program, which recruits young adults preparing for independence as new youth instructors to support project planning. Additionally, participatory entrepreneurship lecture programs offer startup know-how and mentoring.
Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong District, stated, “The ‘Seongdong-Style Self-Reliance Support Package’ serves as a reliable foundation for young adults preparing for independence, helping to ease their financial burdens and supporting their healthy integration as members of society. We will continue to pursue tailored support policies so that the youth of Seongdong District can freely pursue their dreams and hopes and fully develop their unique potential.”
Free Health Checkups for Single-Person Households: Young Adults in Yeongdeungpo District
Comprehensive screening: basic tests, blood tests, chest X-ray, mental health screening-45 items in total
No reservation required; visit the Health Screening Center on the 2nd floor of the public health center
The Yeongdeungpo District Public Health Center has announced that it will provide free health checkups for young adults living alone in the district.
As of 2023, there were approximately 77,900 single-person households in Yeongdeungpo District, accounting for 40.9% of all households. Of these, young adults aged 19 to 39 made up about 43,800 households (56.2%), representing a high proportion.
Young adults living alone often require health management due to irregular eating habits focused on convenience foods and stress. For some, mental health issues are worsening due to economic difficulties and job insecurity.
To enable early detection of diseases and prevention of chronic illnesses among young adults in single-person households-who are often in the blind spot of health management-the district is launching free health checkups. The program aims to help young people take charge of their own health and alleviate the burden of medical expenses.
Eligible participants are single-person households aged 19 to 39 whose registered address is in Yeongdeungpo District. The checkup includes 45 items: basic tests such as blood pressure and body composition, chest X-ray, 29 types of blood tests, 10 types of urine tests, and a mental health screening.
Based on the results, participants will be connected to tailored health management programs at facilities such as the Public Health Center’s Metabolic Syndrome Center.
No reservation is required. Simply bring your ID and a copy of your resident registration certificate, fast for at least 10 hours, and visit the Health Screening Center on the 2nd floor of the public health center.
For more details, visit the “Medical Services · Civil Affairs - Health Checkup” section on the public health center’s website. Choi Yoonjung, Director of the Yeongdeungpo District Public Health Center, stated, “I hope this health checkup will give young people an opportunity to assess their health status and take proactive steps to manage their own well-being.”
Guro District Launches “Saturday Open Public Health Center”... Expanding Health Management Services for Residents
Second Saturday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.-Programs for metabolic syndrome prevention and management, smoking cessation clinic
Guro District will operate the “Saturday Open Public Health Center” throughout 2025 for local residents and workers who have difficulty visiting the public health center on weekdays.
The district announced that by expanding opportunities for health management through the Saturday Open Public Health Center, it aims to improve residents’ satisfaction with health services and promote better health outcomes.
According to the “Statistics on Causes of Death” released by Statistics Korea last year, the leading causes of death were malignant neoplasms (cancer), heart disease, pneumonia, cerebrovascular disease, and intentional self-harm, in that order.
In particular, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are closely linked to pre-existing conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, making early diagnosis and continuous management essential. The “2023 Guro District Community Health Statistics” for Seoul showed that the diagnosis rates for hypertension and diabetes were 25.4% and 11.5%, respectively, with prevalence increasing with age.
Smoking is also cited as a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as various chronic illnesses. The current smoking rate in Guro District is 16.8%, which is higher than the previous year and above the Seoul city average.
Accordingly, the Guro District Public Health Center plans to provide health management services on weekends so that more residents can access the center’s services.
This year, the main programs offered at the Saturday Open Public Health Center are metabolic syndrome prevention and management, and a smoking cessation clinic.
The metabolic syndrome prevention and management program is available to Guro District residents and workers aged 20 to 69 at the health management center on the first floor of the public health center. The program checks health status through measurements such as waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, high-density (HDL) cholesterol, and body composition (BMI), and provides personalized nutrition and exercise counseling. Ongoing management is offered every six months for continuous health improvement.
The smoking cessation clinic, located on the second floor, is open to anyone wishing to quit smoking, including youth and workers. After registering, participants can receive professional counseling, support for smoking cessation aids, information on quitting, and commemorative gifts upon success.
An official from the Guro District Public Health Center stated, “By operating the public health center on weekends, we will improve accessibility and expand services for chronic disease and smoking cessation management. We will continue to develop various programs to promote residents’ health.”
The Saturday Open Public Health Center is open on the second Saturday of every month from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and can be accessed by advance reservation (required for metabolic syndrome screening) or by walk-in visit.
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