Yangcheon District to Provide Up to 200,000 Won for National Certification Exam Fees for Youth

Support for Unemployed Youth Aged 19 to 39
Reimbursement for Actual Costs of Over 900 Types of Exams

Yangcheon District in Seoul (Mayor Lee Ki-jae) announced on January 9 that it will provide financial support for national certification exam fees for unemployed youth, covering up to 200,000 won per person.

This year, support will be provided to 1,100 individuals. Eligible applicants are unemployed youth aged 19 to 39 who have continuously resided in Yangcheon District from before January 1 of this year until the application date. Discharged veterans who have completed their mandatory military service can receive support up to the age of 42, with the upper age limit extended by up to three years.

Lee Ki-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon District, communicating with local youth. Provided by Yangcheon District Office.

Approximately 900 types of exams are covered, including language proficiency tests taken this year (such as TOEIC, OPIc, TEPS, and G-TELP), the Korean History Proficiency Test, national certification exams, and nationally accredited private qualification exams.

Applicants can request reimbursement for exam fees up to a lifetime maximum of 200,000 won, with no limit on the number of applications. Both lump-sum and split applications are allowed for exams taken this year.

Notably, the district has abolished the "application year restriction," which previously allowed support only in the first year of application. Now, those who received support last year can apply again for any remaining eligible amount. However, the program may close early if the budget is exhausted.

Applications can be submitted online through the Yangcheon District Office website (www.yangcheon.go.kr). The subsidy will be deposited into individual bank accounts at the end of each month, following a review of applications received by the 10th of that month.

Yangcheon District has been running the national certification exam fee support program since 2023, providing approximately 440 million won to around 6,000 young people over the past three years.

Mayor Lee Ki-jae stated, "Exam fees for certifications can often be a significant burden for young people. We will continue to create an environment where they can pursue self-development without worrying about costs, helping them expand their potential and focus on their job search activities."