Seongnam City to Provide '50,000 Won Monthly' Self-Development Vouchers for Out-of-School Youth

Supporting Self-Development for Out-of-School Youth Aged 13 to 18

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor: Shin Sangjin) will allocate 333 million won this year to run a program providing vouchers worth 50,000 won per month to out-of-school youth.

Seongnam City Hall exterior. Courtesy of Seongnam City

This program, now in its eighth year, is designed to support out-of-school youth in their self-development and reintegration into society.

The vouchers are provided as mobile Seongnam Sarang Gift Certificates worth 50,000 won each month, distributed in the form of point recharges.

The vouchers can be used in seven categories available on the local gift certificate app 'Chak': academies and education, sports and fitness, books, culture, performances and entertainment, convenience stores, supermarkets and marts, hygiene, beauty and personal care, cafes and bakeries, and telecommunications and electronic products.

Eligible recipients are out-of-school youth aged 13 to 18 (born between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2013) who have maintained resident registration and continuous residence in Seongnam City for at least one year as of the application date.

Applications can be made by visiting the local community service center for one's registered address or online through the local gift certificate app (Chak). Applicants must submit documents such as proof of out-of-quota management, certificate of removal from school, or confirmation of non-enrollment.

Afterward, applicants must receive counseling on career or academic pathways at the Seongnam Out-of-School Youth Support Center Dreamdrim, located in Hadaewon-dong, Jungwon-gu, to be included as support recipients.

Last year, Seongnam City provided a total of 310 million won in vouchers to 631 out-of-school youth who applied for the program.

This figure of 631 represents a 40% increase compared to the 449 applicants in the previous year (2024). The city attributed this rise to the introduction of the online application system (local gift certificate app) last year.

A Seongnam City official stated, "The out-of-school youth voucher program is not simply about financial assistance. It is a growth support policy that helps young people take charge of designing their own lives and is part of Seongnam City's proactive administration. We will continue efforts to identify at-risk and socially isolated youth and support their reintegration into society."

As of the end of last year, there were 1,684 out-of-school youth in Seongnam. This accounts for 1.9% of the total 88,888 elementary, middle, and high school students in the city, and these youths left school for reasons such as maladjustment, alternative education, qualifying exams, or overseas departure.

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