Minister Kim Hyun-sook: "We Will Strengthen Support Policies for the Independence of Out-of-Home Youth"

Visiting Seongnam City Boys' Short-Term Youth Shelter on the 8th Ahead of Chuseok

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook is giving a greeting at the Youth Sector Communication Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 14th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, will visit the Seongnam City Boys' Short-Term Youth Shelter in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 8th ahead of the Chuseok holiday.

Minister Kim will check on the lives of youths spending Chuseok at the youth shelter and encourage the staff, while visiting the site to reflect field voices in policies supporting out-of-home youths.

The Seongnam City Boys' Short-Term Youth Shelter provides living support, counseling and education, cultural activities, and independence preparation to 16 youths who find it difficult to return home due to family breakdown or conflict. It also operates a Youth Independence Support Center that offers customized services such as income, livelihood, and financial support, academic support, and employment assistance to help youths establish stable independence after leaving the shelter.

Last year, the proportion of youths who returned home after leaving youth shelters was only 45.3% out of a total of 1,656 youths discharged. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to support out-of-home youths in developing independence capabilities by linking government support with corporate social contribution projects to cover areas where government aid alone is insufficient.

This year, the Ministry expanded the number of youth shelters by adding four locations nationwide, bringing the total to 138, and increased the Youth Independence Support Centers to 11.

Minister Kim Hyun-sook said, "I appreciate the hard work of the staff dedicated to protecting and supporting the independence of out-of-home youths, and I hope the youths living in the shelters have a warm Chuseok holiday," adding, "We will further strengthen government support policies to establish a foundation for the independence of out-of-home youths."

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