Expansion of Eligibility for Youth Moving and Tuition Fee Support
To Be Implemented Starting in the Second Half of the Year
Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province has raised the upper age limit for those recognized as "youth" from 34 to 39 years old.
According to Seongnam City on April 30, the city revised the "Seongnam City Youth Basic Ordinance" and officially announced the change on April 7. The new ordinance is scheduled to be fully implemented in the second half of the year, once consultations with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the social security system are completed.
With this amendment, the age range for youth in Seongnam City has been expanded from the previous 19 to 34 years old to now include those up to 39 years old. As a result, as of the end of March 2025, an additional 63,667 young people aged 35 to 39 will be newly included, increasing the youth population from the previous 188,235 to a total of 251,902.
With the expanded age range, individuals in this group will now be eligible for various youth support policies provided by Seongnam City. In particular, the "All Pass" program, which supports tuition and exam fees for unemployed youth, and the moving expense support program for employed youth renting homes, are among the main initiatives that will apply. The city expects that approximately 2,400 additional young people will benefit from these programs, and estimates that an additional budget of about 312 million won will be required.
Seongnam City explained that this measure reflects the delayed social entry and economic independence of young people, as well as the diverse paths in their lives. To further enhance policy effectiveness, the city plans to officially launch a youth information platform in 2026 to provide tailored information on housing, jobs, and education, and will also establish and implement the second five-year basic youth policy plan starting the same year.
Lee Hyunho, chair of the Seongnam City Youth Policy Council (age 34), stated, "This ordinance revision reflects the reality of youth in various areas such as education, employment, entrepreneurship, housing, and childcare," adding, "It will lower the barriers to policy participation and provide opportunities for young people who have previously been excluded."
Shin Sangjin, Mayor of Seongnam City, emphasized, "Raising the youth age limit strengthens the institutional foundation for stable future planning for young people," adding, "We will continue to promote a variety of policies to make Seongnam a youth-friendly city where young people want to live and take on challenges."
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