Yongsan-gu Establishes Life-Oriented Youth Policies... Completes Survey of 500 Youths' Conditions

From August to November, a three-month period involving literature review, online and offline surveys, and targeted group interviews covering income, employment, consumption activities, housing, health, and leisure culture sectors

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) completed a youth status survey research project last month, taking a step closer to establishing a basic plan for youth policies.

The purpose was to diagnose youth perceptions and realities through a professional research agency and to lay the foundation for youth policies tailored to the district's circumstances.

The project was conducted by the executing agency Global Research over three months from August to November. The research targeted local youth residents aged 19 to 34 and comprehensively covered areas such as income and employment, consumption activities, housing, mental and physical health, and leisure culture.

The main contents included literature review to secure reference data on youth status, quantitative online and offline surveys of 500 youth, qualitative age-targeted focus group interviews (FGI), and expert consultations with academics and youth organization activists.

A district official stated, "To establish policies for youth, it is necessary to understand the beneficiaries, the youth, in more detail," adding, "The results of this research project will be actively utilized as reference materials for policy development."

The survey results showed that the proportion of single-person households among youth families in the district was 30.3%, higher than Seoul's youth single-person household rate of 20.1%, and the proportion of unmarried and single individuals was 86.3%.

Regarding housing conditions, 79.4% expressed satisfaction with living in Yongsan-gu, with the most common residence period being between one and three years (21.6%). The biggest advantage cited was good transportation access (73.5%), while the biggest disadvantage was relatively high housing and living costs (64.3%).

The most common housing type was multi-family housing (including studio apartments) at 27.1%, followed by apartments at 21.4%. In terms of occupancy type, monthly rent was 33.3%, owned housing 32%, and jeonse (long-term deposit lease) 29.8%, with the highest rate of monthly rent found among those living in multi-family housing.

Regarding employment, the most common current occupation was office workers at 36.1%, followed by students (including those on leave) at 23.7%, and service workers at 12.6%. The student proportion was higher compared to the overall Seoul population. Notably, 40% of respondents had either considered starting a business or had actual entrepreneurial experience, indicating that 4 out of 10 youth are interested in entrepreneurship.

The average monthly household income was between 2 million and 3 million KRW (19.9%), followed by 3 million to 4 million KRW (18.3%). Among single-person households, the majority reported income between 2 million and 3 million KRW. The average monthly earned income was 2,629,000 KRW, and the average monthly living expenses were 1,061,000 KRW. The most burdensome expense items were food costs (33%) and housing costs (32.7%).

For leisure and hobbies, 74.6% responded that they have neighborhood friends, with the average number of neighborhood friends being small-scale: 1-2 friends (32.1%) and 3-4 friends (31%).

Among the 55% who reported belonging to groups, neighborhood groups ranked first, with socializing (74%) being the most common activity.

Regarding physical and mental health, 68.6% rated their current health status as good, 53% reported good balanced nutrition intake, and 47% rated their sleep duration as good, which was relatively low. The top stressors in daily life were economic factors such as income, expenses, and debt (25.5%), followed by work life (23%).

Other diverse opinions included “ways to encourage youth participation,” “youth can do anything; it’s okay to fail,” and “hoping for something that can break the tendency to depend on parents.”

The district plans to share the results of this “Youth Status Survey Research Project” with relevant departments and related organizations and to establish the “Yongsan-gu Youth Policy Basic Plan (5-year plan)” in the first half of next year to promote youth policies that reflect the local identity.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “Based on the results of this youth status survey research project, we will narrow the gap between youth realities and policies and actively discover and implement support policies that youth can feel directly.”

The district enacted the Seoul Metropolitan Government Yongsan-gu Youth Basic Ordinance in 2019. In July of this year, it established a Youth Support Team within the Senior and Youth Division to provide active social participation opportunities for the local youth generation, help build a foundation for independence, and work to promote youth rights.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.