Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum: "Hope Youth Policies of Moon Administration Are Well Continued by Next Government"

The 14th Cabinet Meeting

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is speaking while presiding over the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 29th. March 29, 2022 [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Son Seon-hee] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on the 29th, "The Moon Jae-in administration was the first government to establish an independent and comprehensive youth policy," and added, "I sincerely hope that the youth policy, which has just begun to take root, will be well inherited by the next administration."

On the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Kim presided over a Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office and said, "The difficulties faced by the youth, who are the future generation, are problems that our society and nation will soon face." He continued, "Sufficient policy support is necessary for young people to overcome difficult realities and develop their capabilities, and this is the most effective investment in preparing for the future of our society."

Regarding the current administration's youth policy, Prime Minister Kim explained, "To deliberate and coordinate major matters, a Youth Policy Coordination Committee was newly established under the Prime Minister, centered on youth committee members, and a dedicated organization overseeing youth policy was created within the Office for Government Policy Coordination." He added, "Youth issues are not simply limited to employment but are addressed from a comprehensive perspective covering all aspects of youth life, including housing, education, welfare, and participation."

Regarding the 'Youth Technology Startup Competition' hosted by the government in the afternoon, Prime Minister Kim said, "This competition was prepared with the intention of opening up the core technologies accumulated by the government to young people to create successful youth startup models." He added, "I wish the participants good luck and sincerely hope that this competition will become a solid stepping stone for young entrepreneurs challenging technology startups."

Meanwhile, as the second anniversary of the nationwide transition of firefighters to national public officials approaches on the 1st of next month, Prime Minister Kim said, "Over the past five years, the government has made the Fire Agency an independent disaster response organization to efficiently respond to increasingly diverse disasters and has increased the number of field personnel to nearly 20,000."

Prime Minister Kim stated, "There are still many challenges, such as many outdated firefighting equipment and securing resources related to personnel reinforcement," and added, "To protect the lives and safety of the people and prevent the sacrifice of firefighters, we will expand advanced equipment and reorganize the firefighting response system more efficiently."

Additionally, from the 1st of next month, the use of disposable products will be banned again in cafes, restaurants, and other places. This is a reinstatement of a policy that was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020. Prime Minister Kim said, "For future generations, even if it is a little inconvenient, we must start changes in daily life again," and added, "Although COVID-19 is still rampant, experts commonly agree that it is safe to use reusable products as long as they are properly cleaned." Furthermore, he said, "There are considerable concerns that the ban on disposable products will exacerbate the difficulties of small business owners and self-employed people already weakened by COVID-19 response," and urged, "The Ministry of Environment should focus on explaining the purpose and guidance rather than enforcement when implementing the policy as announced, so that the system can be established smoothly."

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