Seo Seungpil of Nonsan City Council Criticizes Ineffectiveness of Youth Policies, Citing 98% Net Outflow of Young People

"Urgent Need to Shift Employment and Housing Policies
to Customized Measures Reflecting Local Realities"

Seungpil Seo, Nonsan City Council Member

On June 16, Seungpil Seo, a member of the Nonsan City Council in South Chungcheong Province, argued that "the lack of effectiveness in Nonsan City's youth policies is causing an annual increase in the outflow of the young population."

During a policy inquiry at the 264th regular session of the Nonsan City Council on the same day, Seo stated, "Last year, the net outflow rate of young people in Nonsan City reached as high as 98%," pointing to the absence of quality jobs and housing measures as the reasons.

According to Seo and data from Statistics Korea, the population of Nonsan City, which was 116,675 in 2020, decreased by 7.77% to 107,607 as of May this year.

In particular, the youth population (aged 18?45) declined by 6,048 over five years, showing a trend of decreasing by more than 1,000 annually on average.

Seo emphasized, "The reason young people are leaving Nonsan is not simply a matter of personal choice, but rather due to the lack of a foundation for life in the region."

In a survey of residents and public officials conducted by Nonsan City earlier this year, the main reasons cited for population decline were "lack of quality jobs" (24%), "insufficient cultural and leisure facilities" (16%), and "lack of competitiveness in local businesses" (14%), in that order.

Respondents identified "fostering local industries and expanding job opportunities" (24%) as the most urgent policy needed to attract population inflow.

Seo criticized, "Currently, Nonsan City virtually has no public rental housing or 'Happy Housing' for young people," adding, "Even though the proportion of young people without homes was 18% as of 2022, the supply of housing falls far short of demand."

He further pointed out, "According to the 2024 feasibility study and basic plan for public rental housing construction, among 172 newlywed households without homes, 51 households were estimated to have demand for public rental housing, but there is no supply plan reflecting this."

Specifically, Seo said, "The city's own youth housing loan interest support program is also ineffective, as its restrictive conditions?limited to those with less than 150% of the median income and aged 40?45?mean there are almost no actual beneficiaries." He argued that the eligibility should be expanded to 180% of the median income, as in other cities such as Boryeong, Asan, and Gongju.

Seo stated, "In the 2024 Chungnam Social Indicators Survey, 47% of Nonsan residents cited 'creating diverse jobs' as the key task for attracting population inflow."

He added, "However, Nonsan City lacks large corporations and high value-added industries, so digital-based jobs and professional positions favored by young people are virtually nonexistent."

Seo also noted, "Some young people try to return to their hometown, but the lack of jobs forces them to leave again, creating a vicious cycle," emphasizing that "a practical job strategy is urgently needed."

Seo remarked, "While Nonsan City is pursuing long-term plans such as establishing a defense industry complex and attracting a Defense Future Technology Research Center, these projects are still far from providing realistic youth employment," and called for short- and mid-term measures.

He said, "A future blueprint alone cannot meet the immediate job expectations of young people who need employment right now."

Seo further argued, "Nonsan City needs to move away from the current system of matching national and provincial funds and instead establish a separate 'customized youth policy' that reflects local realities."

He continued, "Rather than focusing on superficial business figures, policies should be shifted to ones that young people can truly feel," and requested Mayor Baek Seonghyeon to provide specific positions on expanding youth housing supply, easing loan interest support, and creating jobs preferred by young people.

Seo concluded, "Youth issues are at the intersection of all social challenges, including jobs, housing, health, childbirth, and childcare," stressing that "it is time for Nonsan City to recognize the young generation as the main agents of the future and to bring about real change."