Seoul City Offers Tailored Support for Isolated and Reclusive Youth... Recruiting 200 Participants

Support for Isolated Youth Facing Economic and Psychological Challenges Hindering Social Integration
Career Exploration Coaching for Social Entry of Isolated Youth, Online Exchange Programs for Eun-dun Youth in Isolation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 30th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will provide specialized programs to 200 marginalized youth, including 150 isolated youth who face economic and psychological difficulties making social advancement challenging, and 50 "eundun youth" (reclusive youth) who do not leave their homes due to bullying, family conflicts, and other issues.

The programs are broadly divided into support projects for isolated youth and support projects for eundun youth. For isolated youth who have given up on job searching and are in isolation, coaching on career exploration is provided to help build confidence for social entry. Customized programs including psychological support with individual and family counseling, and one-on-one consulting through career aptitude tests are also offered.

For eundun youth who are afraid to leave their homes, programs are provided online to enable communication and interaction with others. An offline space called "Base Camp" has been established where eundun youth can start activities outside their homes through rest and personal activities. Peer supporters with eundun experience reside there to provide counseling and hold meetings. A parent education program is also conducted for the parents of eundun youth.

All programs are free of charge. Anyone aged 19 to 34 residing in Seoul who is an isolated youth, eundun youth, or their family members can apply. Citizens wishing to participate can apply online through the Seoul Youth Portal. Intensive recruitment will take place from July 1 to August 31, and applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until December.

Since 2019, Seoul has been conducting support projects for isolated youth, assisting 174 isolated youth in social entry by 2020. This year, the scope of the project has been expanded to include eundun youth, systematically supporting young people who are experiencing intensified feelings of isolation and frustration after COVID-19.

Jo Wan-seok, Director of Youth Affairs, said, "The psychological isolation and frustration among youth have deepened due to COVID-19," adding, "Through the isolated and eundun youth support projects, Seoul will provide assistance to help youth who are in policy blind spots to enter society."

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