More Than 7 Out of 10 Young People in Yeongam, South Jeolla Believe "Marriage Is Necessary"

Yeongam County Releases Youth Socioeconomic Survey Results
75% of Respondents See Marriage as Necessary
71% Hope to Have Two or More Children

Basic Data for Understanding the Socioeconomic Life of Young People in Yeongam and Establishing Policies. Provided by Yeongam County

More than 7 out of 10 young people living in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, have a positive view of marriage, according to recent analysis.

On January 14, Yeongam County and the Honam Regional Statistics Office released the results of the "2025 Youth Socioeconomic Status Survey," conducted to provide basic data for understanding the socioeconomic life of young people and establishing policies.

First, among the questions on "settlement conditions," the proportion of young people who said they intend to continue living in Yeongam County rose from 56.2% three years ago to 59.9% last year.

This trend was further supported by increases in satisfaction with residential conditions, which rose from 42.0% to 42.5%, and in the proportion of those who moved into the area, which climbed from 45.6% to 63.5%.

Six out of ten young people living in Yeongam County came from other regions, with more than half of them (50.6%) relocating from the Honam region, indicating that Yeongam is increasingly becoming an attractive alternative place to live for young people from Honam.

When asked about necessary housing policies, young people cited "expanding public housing" (38.8%) and "youth deposit and lease loan support" (29.3%) as top priorities.

In particular, young people showed a notably optimistic outlook regarding "views on marriage" and the "appropriate number of children."

The proportion of young people who believe that "marriage is necessary" increased significantly from 55.9% to 74.5%, and those who intend to have two or more children also rose sharply from 63.7% to 71.2%.

Young people in Yeongam County called for "reducing childcare costs" (37.7%) and "providing childbirth incentives" (31.7%) as key measures to address childbirth and parenting.

Additionally, Yeongam youth selected "financial support" for health policies (50.8%), "financial support" for cultural and leisure policies (50.2%), and "corporate employment support and attracting new companies" (24.5%) for employment and entrepreneurship promotion as their top choices.

Yeongam County explained that the results of this survey show that a variety of youth policies implemented during the 8th popularly elected administration have contributed to improving young people's perceptions in the region.

The county plans to build on this foundation and further strengthen youth policies based on the survey findings.

Yeongam County, which was the first in the nation to sign an agreement with the public institution Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) to promote youth housing supply, was selected at the end of last year for the "Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Specialized Public Rental Housing Project." The county plans to build 100 units of public rental housing in Yeongam-eup.

To reduce the housing cost burden for employed young people, the county is expanding housing stability policies, such as providing a monthly subsidy of 200,000 won to young people renting on a deposit or monthly basis, and 100,000 won per month to single-person youth households.

Starting this year, a policy is being implemented to provide up to 5 million won in marriage incentives over three years to newlywed young couples, and interest support is being offered to newlywed couples without homes when purchasing a house or taking out a lease loan.

Additionally, childbirth incentives are provided to families, ranging from 1.5 million won for the first child to 9.5 million won for the fifth child.

Customized policies to reduce the burden of childrearing are also being strengthened, including monthly diaper purchase support of 90,000 won until 24 months after birth, and a basic income of 200,000 won per month for children aged 1 to 18.

To support youth employment, Yeongam County operates job cafes and holds job fairs that reflect local employment conditions, thereby supporting sustainable economic activity.

For young people who have given up on job seeking or are unemployed, the county systematically supports re-entry into the labor market and capacity building through programs such as the "Youth Challenge Support Project" and the "Youth Growth Project."

By operating a youth startup mall, the county is easing the rental burden for young entrepreneurs, and through the local creator development project, it is providing a total of 200 million won in startup support over three years, thereby fostering the local startup ecosystem.

To reduce the burden of job-seeking for unemployed or aspiring entrepreneurs, the county is expanding youth employment policies that cover the entire cycle from employment to entrepreneurship, such as supporting up to 100,000 won per year for certification exam fees.

Woo Seunghee, Governor of Yeongam County, stated, "This survey demonstrates the effectiveness of the youth policies of Yeongam County's 8th popularly elected administration, which were tailored to the perspectives of young people. Based on the results, we will create a vibrant Yeongam through innovative policies that encompass all aspects of young people's lives, including the economy, society, culture, and education."

Meanwhile, the 2025 Youth Socioeconomic Status Survey covered 42 items across 11 categories, including personal, housing, family, health, culture and leisure, quality of life, economic activity, desired jobs, employment support policies, economy, and Yeongam County-specific items. A total of 1,008 young people aged 19 to 49 residing in Yeongam County responded to the survey.