Minister Jeong Young-ae of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Conducts On-site Quarantine Inspection for Support of At-risk Youth

Visited Seoul Youth Counseling and Welfare Center to Gather On-site Opinions

Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is delivering a greeting at the launch ceremony for participants of the Korea-ASEAN Youth Summit held on the 6th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, will visit the Seoul Youth Counseling and Welfare Center to inspect compliance with COVID-19 prevention measures and listen to on-site opinions regarding support for at-risk youth.

This is to check the quarantine management, vaccination status, and whether there are any difficulties in service support at youth counseling and welfare centers that support at-risk youth on the front lines, following the elevation of social distancing to Level 4 in the metropolitan area. Youth Counseling and Welfare Centers provide counseling, emergency rescue, medical support, and other youth welfare services, with 238 centers operating nationwide.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family established the "COVID-19 Response Youth Counseling and Welfare Center Operation Guidelines" on the 8th to prevent confusion on-site and provide uninterrupted services according to the new social distancing system. At Level 4 social distancing, all group and individual counseling and educational programs are switched to non-face-to-face formats. At Levels 1 to 3, only individual counseling operates normally, while group counseling is allowed up to two-thirds at Level 2 and one-third at Level 3.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has also started vaccinating workers at youth counseling and welfare centers and youth welfare facilities as priority recipients for COVID-19 vaccination.

Even in situations where face-to-face activities are difficult, tailored counseling is provided through youth counseling and welfare centers to protect and support at-risk youth facing issues such as suicide or school violence. The 24-hour youth counseling channel 1388 identifies at-risk youth through various means such as phone calls, text messages, and KakaoTalk, providing counseling and other services.

Minister Jeong Young-ae of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, "I appreciate the hard work of the workers who strive for youth on the front lines despite COVID-19. As the role of youth counseling and welfare centers becomes more important than ever due to the prolonged social distancing, I ask that quarantine guidelines be strictly followed to ensure that protection and support for at-risk youth are not interrupted." She added, "We will make efforts to prevent blind spots in support for at-risk youth by expanding support for youth counseling and welfare centers and strengthening the youth safety net."

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