Proactive Implementation of Life-Oriented Projects
to Meet Diverse Youth Needs, Including Support for Language Qualification Exam Fees and Daily Necessities for First-Time Single-Person Households...
Meticulous Youth Policies such as Youth Challenge Support, Creation of Startup Spaces, and Extended Allowance for Youth Preparing for Independence
Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that it will accelerate the creation of a youth-friendly social and economic environment this year to enable young people to lead healthy and happy lives as members of society.
The district plans to focus its administrative capabilities on creating a ‘Seongdong-type Youth-Friendly City’ by establishing the ‘2025 Youth Policy Implementation Plan,’ which promotes 58 projects across five areas to support youth capacity development and healthy social independence. A total budget of 15.3 billion KRW will be invested, marking an 89% increase compared to last year’s 7.1 billion KRW.
Support for Employment and Entrepreneurship through Strengthening Youth Independence Capabilities
The district is implementing the ‘Youth Challenge Support Project’ to strengthen young people’s independence capabilities and support employment and entrepreneurship. This year, it will provide various employment capacity-building programs to 120 young job seekers who had given up on finding jobs, a 33% increase from last year. Additionally, a support program covering language learning and qualification exam fees up to 100,000 KRW is operated to alleviate the burden of job preparation for unemployed youth.
The largest youth startup support facility among Seoul’s autonomous districts will also open newly. It features 78 resident spaces on the first and second floors and can accommodate 269 people. Furthermore, a 150-seat Seongdong-type shared office will be created to serve as a workspace for residents working remotely or from home.
Stable Housing Support to Improve Youth Quality of Life
Special efforts are also being made to ensure housing stability, an essential condition for life, for young people. The ‘Seongdong-Hanyang Win-Win Dormitory,’ located near Hanyang University with a total of 45 rooms across four sites, is a representative example. It operates through a public-private partnership where LH Corporation supports the deposit, and Seongdong-gu and Hanyang University support the monthly rent, significantly easing the housing cost burden for youth.
In addition, the district supports youth housing independence through projects such as ‘Yongdap Challenge Dormitory,’ which provides housing and startup incubation space for prospective entrepreneurs; half-price brokerage fee support for single-person households of young social beginners; safe lease contract assistance services; small moving vehicle support for youth; and the Seongdong Youth Ja·Sin·Gam (a clever feeling for youth independence) project.
Customized Cultural and Health Support to Prevent Youth Isolation
Socially isolated youth support projects will be actively promoted centered on the ‘Seongdong-gu Youth Support Center.’ The ‘Visiting Mentoring’ program, first implemented last year, will continue this year to provide customized psychological counseling and art therapy for youth in isolation.
There is no gap in implementing practical support policies for vulnerable youth. Youth caregivers who care for sick family members or are responsible for family livelihoods are identified and provided with daily care services such as livelihood, medical, and housing support. Additionally, a new Seongdong-type independence support package project will be launched to help youth preparing for stable social settlement. Targeting youth preparing for independent living after age 18 (up to 24 if protection is extended), this program uses funds raised through the hometown love donation system to provide up to 500,000 KRW monthly for up to one year.
Living and Financial Support for Youth Economic Independence
Seongdong-gu continues to promote unique projects that support youth daily life. These include the ‘Coming-of-Age Support Fund’ to cheer on 19-year-olds starting their social lives and a daily necessities purchase support project for youth who have moved to Seongdong-gu and formed their first independent household.
The ‘Seongdong-gu Youth Support Center’ operates life-cycle-based life planning support programs for youth economic independence. It provides tailored information such as social adaptation courses for early youth (ages 19?24), social skills acquisition courses for mid-youth (ages 24?34), and self-management courses for life transitions for late youth (ages 34?39).
Policy Participation Support to Increase Youth Social Activity Participation
The district operates the Youth Policy Committee and Youth Policy Network to provide broad policy participation opportunities for youth. The ‘Seongdong-gu Youth Center’ and ‘Seoul Youth Center Seongdong,’ hubs for youth activities in the region, are being relocated to the station-area youth housing currently under construction in Majang-dong to be used as youth-specialized complex spaces, while strengthening the connectivity of youth policy services.
In addition to conducting research to establish the mid- to long-term vision of the ‘Seongdong-type Youth-Friendly City,’ the district is also hosting youth roundtable discussions to actively gather diverse opinions from young people.
Last year, the district proactively implemented life-oriented projects that met various youth demands, such as support for language qualification exam fees and daily necessities purchase support for first-time single-person households, receiving great responses. Notably, the operation of the half-price one-room ‘Seongdong-Hanyang Win-Win Dormitory’ for youth facing housing cost burdens led to winning the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award at the 2024 Government Innovation Grand Championship. It was also honored as an excellent local government in the ‘Youth-Friendly Legislative Award’ selected directly by youth.
Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “We are continuously implementing customized, life-oriented policies reflecting youth needs so that young people can achieve healthy growth and independence in the local community. Going forward, we will realize ‘Youth-Friendly City Seongdong’ based on meticulous support policies that youth can feel in their daily lives.”
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