People Power Party Announces Youth Pledges for Coming-of-Age Day: "Fair Recruitment Act and Military Service Bonus Points to Be Introduced"

Wage System Reform for "Compensation Based on Work Performed"
Exemption from 52-Hour Workweek for High-Income Professionals
Easing Newlywed Housing Burden with 3-3-3 Housing Policy

On May 19, in celebration of Coming-of-Age Day, the People Power Party announced a set of youth pledges centered on the enactment of a Fair Recruitment Act and the introduction of a military service bonus point system. For office workers, the party also promised to expand flexible work arrangements and to legislate a Workplace Harassment Prevention Act.

On this day, the People Power Party's Policy Headquarters unveiled its youth pledges under the slogan "Empowering Today's Youth! - Renewing Korea."

First, the party plans to establish a transparent and trustworthy recruitment culture that young people can accept by enacting the Fair Recruitment Act. Specifically, the current "Recruitment Procedure Act" will be comprehensively revised and supplemented to strengthen penalties for unfair practices such as solicitation, bribery, and personal connections in the hiring process. In addition, disclosure of criteria and procedures at each stage of recruitment will be made mandatory.

Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, visited Eunjeongyi Cultural Street near Jungangno Station in Jung-gu, Daejeon, on the 16th, giving a piggyback ride to a child and greeting citizens. 2025.5.16 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The party will also introduce a military service bonus point system and a program to utilize military experience in the private sector. The Women's Voluntary Military Service System (Women's Professional Military System) will be introduced to expand opportunities for women to enter specialized military fields. At the same time, a career certification system will be established to ensure that duties performed during military service are recognized as work experience by private companies.

Policies to ease the housing burden for young people were also proposed. More than 10% of public housing will be specially allocated for single-person households, and studio apartments and boarding houses near university areas will be designated as "Korean-style White Zones" (regulation-free areas) to expand half-price rent zones. In addition, the party plans to provide rent and guarantee fee support for single-person youth households and to significantly increase the monthly rent tax deduction rate for young people and newlyweds.

To reduce the financial burden on university students, the scholarship system will be expanded. The proportion of scholarships for university students (national + on/off-campus) will be gradually increased from 60% (as of 2024) to 70%. Various types of youth dormitories will be promoted using public idle land near GTX stations, closed school sites, unused national and public land, unused university land, and land contributed to local government redevelopment projects.

Pledges for office workers were also presented. The wage system will be reformed so that employees are compensated according to their work, regardless of age or years of service. High-income professionals will be exempted from the 52-hour workweek, and flexible work arrangements will be promoted. In consideration of concerns about reduced job opportunities for young people, a plan to extend the retirement age was also proposed. Under this plan, employees who reach retirement age will terminate their existing employment contracts (retire), have their wages adjusted, and then be re-employed (establishing a continued employment system).

The party also pledged to enact a Workplace Harassment Prevention Act. A special law will be enacted to protect all workers from workplace harassment, with the aim of clarifying and objectifying the currently broad and ambiguous concept of workplace harassment.

For newlyweds, the party announced measures to address the so-called "blind wedding package" (studio, dress, makeup) issue. Standard contracts for wedding service businesses will be introduced and recommended, and false or exaggerated advertising will be prohibited. In addition, the expansion of public wedding halls will help reduce the burden of wedding venue reservation costs. The burden of housing costs for newlyweds will be eased through the "Youth Marriage 3·3·3 Housing" policy. Under this policy, 100,000 housing units will be supplied annually, providing housing cost support for three years after marriage, three years after the first child, and three years after the second child, for a total of nine years.