Seoul Gangseo-gu 'Youth Counseling Welfare Center' Relocation to 14-5 Hwagok-ro 18-gil

Published 14 Dec.2020 16:18(KST)

Established and relocated from Gangseo-gu Youth Center to independent Hwagok 1-dong... Expanding counseling and cultural spaces for youth in a 1 basement, 4-story building

Seoul Gangseo-gu 'Youth Counseling Welfare Center' Relocation to 14-5 Hwagok-ro 18-gil

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The ‘Youth Counseling and Welfare Center’ in Gangseo-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Noh Hyun-song) has settled into a new home.

The Youth Counseling and Welfare Center, which was located on the 3rd floor of the Gangseo Youth Hall, has been newly constructed and relocated to provide more specialized counseling services to youth.

The new location is at 14-5, Hwagok-ro 18-gil, Gangseo-gu (Hwagok 1-dong), and the building has one basement floor and four above-ground floors.

The center includes a youth culture and rest area on the basement and 1st floors, counseling rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and the center’s offices on the 4th floor.

The previous center was located inside the Gangseo Youth Hall and lacked sufficient counseling space, but with the new building, ample space for youth counseling has been secured.

The 2nd floor houses group counseling rooms, an education room, and a waiting room, while the 3rd floor has individual counseling rooms and play (art) therapy rooms, providing counseling tailored to the youth’s needs.

Individual counseling is also offered for youths struggling with academic or family issues, along with various psychological tests such as personality, mental health, career, and learning assessments to help youths objectively understand themselves.

As the space was created to support healthy growth and development of youth, comfortable areas for youth use have been arranged on the 1st floor and basement 1st floor.

The 1st floor features a caf? where youth can relax, and the basement 1st floor includes a multipurpose room.

The multipurpose room is a space where youth can move and be active, serving as a club activity area for youth, and plans are in place to operate youth healing programs incorporating culture and arts, such as healing theater camps and art therapy seminars.

Currently, due to the implementation of social distancing level 2.5, only non-face-to-face telephone counseling is being conducted, and program operations will resume according to adjustments in distancing levels.

The district believes that public institutions must take the lead in protecting local youth and is building a dense safety net for youth through various projects.

Accordingly, the newly built Youth Counseling and Welfare Center will serve as a key pillar for youth protection centered on the district, actively supporting youths in need within the community.

District Mayor Noh Hyun-song said, “It is very important for youth to grow up healthy in both body and mind,” and added, “We will make sure that the newly built Youth Counseling and Welfare Center becomes a space where youths facing various difficulties during their growth period can easily visit and receive help.”