Pohang City to Launch Full-Scale 'Youth-Friendly City' Initiative for Joint Growth of Youth and Community

Youth Policy Implementation Plan Established... Over 37 Billion KRW Invested in 73 Projects Across 5 Key Areas
Mayor Lee Kangdeok: "We Will Provide Comprehensive Support for the Real Growth and Settlement of Young People"

Pohang City has established its youth policy implementation plan for this year under the vision of "A City Connecting Youth and the Future! Youth-Friendly City Pohang," and is set to actively support the growth and advancement of young people.

Lee Gangdeok, mayor of Pohang, attending last year's youth leader communication meeting. Photo by Pohang City

The city will invest 37.068 billion KRW to promote 73 projects across five major areas: ▲employment ▲education ▲welfare and culture ▲housing ▲participation and rights.

In particular, the city plans to build a "ladder of hope" that connects employment, education, asset formation, and housing, while strengthening youth participation and leadership to lay the foundation for a youth-friendly city where both young people and the region grow together.

To this end, the city will enhance the region's educational competitiveness in line with the Glocal University 30 initiative and the "Regionally Innovative University Support System (RISE)" that will be fully implemented starting this year.

Additionally, Pohang aims to boost job competitiveness through workforce training programs that reflect the region’s diversifying industrial structure, such as the "POBATT (Pohang Battery) Project," and by providing job and startup support tailored to the needs of young people.

Furthermore, the city will support stable independence for youth through asset formation programs such as ▲Youth Worker Love Savings ▲Pohang-type Tomorrow Savings Support ▲Youth Tomorrow Savings Account (for low-income youth).

At the same time, Pohang plans to strengthen customized support for various youth housing needs, including ▲youth monthly rent support ▲lease deposit return guarantee fee support ▲dormitory rental support for small and medium enterprise workers ▲interest support for newlywed lease deposits.

The city will also actively respond to public project opportunities such as the Youth Stepping Stone Housing initiative and expand youth residential spaces by implementing measures to revitalize vacant buildings and houses, thereby improving local settlement conditions for young people.

To expand youth participation in policy-making, the city will revitalize the operation of the Youth Policy School and Policy Proposal Contest, strengthen support for youth policy activists produced through last year's Youth Daero Pohang Project, and implement policies that young people can truly experience.

In addition, through the "Youth Happiness New Deal Project," which was selected as a public project, Pohang Youth Center & Youth Startup Platform will provide opportunities for young people to participate in cultural activities, while establishing itself as a "comprehensive support hub center" that holistically supports youth growth.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, "We are pursuing tailored policies that reflect the needs of young people and providing comprehensive support for their real growth and settlement," adding, "As youth policies become increasingly sophisticated and expanded, we will strive to create a youth-friendly city through active collaboration with related departments and local universities."

In 2023, Pohang City established the Job and Youth Division, a department dedicated to youth policy, and has been promoting projects to lay the foundation for youth independence through policy development and employment linkage. The city has also been working to create an environment where youth dreams can be realized by holding annual youth forums and youth week events.