120 Billion Invested: Oh Seung-rok, Nowon District Mayor's Bold 'Youth Policy' to Empower Young People?

5 Major Strategies, 36 Strategic Projects... 4.7 Billion KRW Increase from Last Year, 12 Billion KRW Invested This Year... Priority on Job Support... Nowon-style Work Experience Program, Youth Startup Incubating... Establishing 5 Youth Safety Nets: Housing, Independence, Mental Health, Education, Rights... Reflecting Youth Voices... 'Nowon Youth Policy Network', 'Youth Policy Academy', 'Youth Participatory Budget'

Youth Store No. 1

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) will invest 12 billion KRW this year in the ‘Nowon-type Youth Policy’ to create an environment where youth are respected and their work and life are supported.

This is to support the 140,000 youth, who make up 28% of the district’s total population, in areas such as employment, skill development, housing stability, emotional stability, and rights protection.

The district has been implementing the Nowon-gu Youth Policy Basic Plan since 2020.

This year, five major strategies will be pursued through 36 detailed projects: ▲ Discovering Nowon-type youth jobs (3.9 billion KRW) ▲ Establishing five safety nets (7.3 billion KRW) ▲ Building a foundation for youth participation activities (700 million KRW) ▲ Creating a gathering place for youth in Nowon (40 million KRW) ▲ Establishing and stabilizing the youth policy implementation system (10 million KRW).

First, discovering Nowon-type youth jobs. The district is focusing on finding jobs that meet the needs of youth rather than short-term jobs.

Last year, it discovered region-led and future industry-type jobs and provided them to about 100 young people. In addition to providing jobs, professional training and personal capacity development support are also offered to improve the employment and job skills of participating youth.

This May, the district plans to conduct the Nowon-type work experience project for 100 unemployed youth. Through this work experience project, which allows youth to gain social experience locally first, it is expected that they will be able to lay the foundation for entering economic activities.

Youth entrepreneurship support is also actively promoted. Last year, cafes within public institutions were converted into youth stores, opening the first and second branches. This year, youth stores 3 to 6 are planned to open in local alley markets such as Gongeung-dong Noodle Street. By attracting unique and diverse youth stores beyond cafes and restaurants, the district aims to promote stable market entry for young entrepreneurs and revitalize the local economy.

Second, the district focuses on establishing five safety nets for youth. Through housing, education, self-reliance foundation, psychological and emotional support, and rights protection, a comprehensive social safety net is provided to prevent youth from being marginalized in the community.

Housing welfare services such as discovering youth-tailored housing models like Able Lab (Dojeon-suk), accompanying services for monthly rent contracts, and safe parcel delivery for single-person households support youth’s independent living.

This year, support for youth who have been further challenged by COVID-19 will be strengthened. Employment incentives of 500,000 KRW per person will be provided to youth struggling with unemployment or joblessness, and employment support scholarships will be offered to low-income job seekers.

Additionally, youth psychological support services, where youth can receive counseling for worries and depression, are being expanded in a non-face-to-face format.

The district also operates a youth policy participation system so that youth can voice their opinions and realize them locally. This includes the Nowon Youth Policy Network, Youth Policy Academy, and Youth Participatory Budget Projects.

Last year, through youth proposals and participation, the Nowon-gu Youth Basic Ordinance was revised, partial amendments were made to the ordinance on the installation and inspection of convenience facilities for the disabled in Nowon-gu, and ordinances supporting the activation of youth mentoring in Nowon-gu were enacted.

Nowon-gu has the fifth largest youth population (ages 19 to 34) in Seoul (as of February 2021) and is home to seven universities.

Reflecting these characteristics, the district plans to expand Nowon-gu beyond a residential concept to an activity hub. To this end, it is promoting projects such as creating a youth cultural street, providing integrated work-and-residence type Dojeon-suk for young entrepreneurs, and revitalizing campus towns in cooperation with local universities.

Meanwhile, last year the district opened the Seoul Youth Center Nowon Orang at the double station area of Nowon Station on Lines 4 and 7. Nowon Orang serves as a base for various youth programs and youth group activities. The district plans to establish a Youth Career Center in the Kwangwoon University station area (scheduled for 2024) to provide more comprehensive support for youth work and life.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “We are making efforts to understand youth through communication and to implement effective youth policies tailored to their needs,” adding, “We will do our best to help youth reveal their hidden potential in the community through Nowon-type policies, moving beyond simply relaying central and metropolitan policies.”

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