Lowering Application Bar for 'Seoul Youth Allowance' and Linking Customized Support... Recruiting 20,000 People

Abolishing the "2 Years After Graduation" Requirement to Include Social Newcomers Who Became Unemployed After Graduation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will provide the ‘Youth Allowance,’ which supports young people who are delayed in entering society due to high job-seeking barriers by giving them 500,000 KRW per month for up to six months, to 20,000 people this year to help them focus on employment and career exploration.

According to Seoul City on the 2nd, it introduced four changes to the ‘Youth Allowance’ this year and announced that applications will be accepted through the Seoul Youth Portal from the 14th to the 23rd. The first payment date is the 29th of next month.

Seoul City will first abolish the ‘2 years after graduation’ requirement among the conditions, significantly lowering the application threshold. The purpose is to include young people who become unemployed immediately after graduation amid the worsening employment crisis caused by COVID-19, allowing them to enter the job market in a timely manner.

With the abolition of the ‘2 years after graduation’ requirement, any young person aged 19 to 34 (with a household income at or below 150% of the median income) who resides in Seoul according to their resident registration and is unemployed after their final graduation can apply. The income requirement targets those with health insurance premiums at or below 150% of the median income. However, basic livelihood security recipients and lower-income groups cannot participate in the Youth Allowance program. Youth currently participating in similar programs such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s National Employment Support System are excluded from eligibility.

Seoul City maximizes support effects by linking the Youth Allowance with youth policy projects. For example, young people interested in financial technology can participate in the ‘Young Tech’ program offering financial education and counseling; those experiencing mental and economic difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation can receive in-depth psychological counseling through the ‘Mental Health Support Project’; unemployed youth and isolated or reclusive youth who rarely leave their homes can join the ‘Comprehensive Services for Isolated and Reclusive Youth,’ which provides networking and hobby/experience opportunities.

Priority is given to selecting part-time workers working 26 hours or less per week or short-term workers employed for three months or less. This is intended to help hardworking young people who are ‘working’ focus more on their dreams. According to last year’s Statistics Korea survey, people in their 20s and 30s account for more than 30% of all non-regular workers. Support for young people striving toward greater goals is urgently needed.

Furthermore, from the application stage, the needs of young people are identified and linked to city youth policies and programs such as Young Tech based on this information. Customized counseling is also provided through regional youth centers called ‘Orang’ near their residences, tailored to the current situations young people face. Even after the program ends, participants’ interests and status are monitored to connect them with necessary support.

Meanwhile, the Seoul City ‘Youth Allowance,’ first implemented in 2016 and now entering its seventh year, has supported more than 72,000 unemployed young people until last year, enabling them to focus more on efforts toward their dreams.

Kim Cheol-hee, head of the Seoul Future Youth Planning Team, said, "From this year’s ‘Youth Allowance Season 2,’ we plan not only to provide cash support but also to offer customized programs by understanding the needs of young people, so that it can be of practical help in their lives." He added, "We expect the renewed Youth Allowance to establish itself as a meaningful cornerstone that elevates the capabilities of young people to the next level."

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