Gwangju Youth to Embark on a Month-Long 'Exploration Outside the City'

Gwangju City to Recruit 30 Participants for 'Youth Gap Year'

Up to 1.4 Million Won Provided in Activity Funding

The 'Gwangju Youth Gap Year' project, which allows young people to leave their familiar city and spend a month living in another region to explore their career paths and life direction, will continue this year. Gwangju City plans to support unemployed youth with activity expenses and mentoring so they can participate in travel, experiential learning, and project activities.

On May 11, Gwangju City announced that it will recruit 30 participants for the '2026 Gwangju Youth Gap Year Support Project' until June 7.

'Gap Year' refers to a period in which individuals step away from academics or daily routines to explore career paths and values through various experiences such as travel, volunteering, education, or internships. Gwangju City intends to help local youth gain new experiences outside their familiar environment by supporting them to spend time in other regions of Korea.

'2026 Gwangju-Type Youth Gap Year Support Project' web poster. Provided by Gwangju City

The program is open to unemployed youth aged 19 to 39 who are registered residents of Gwangju City as of the announcement date. Applications can be submitted individually or in teams of up to four members. For team applications, all team members must each submit application documents and participate in the interview screening process.

Applications are accepted through the ARKE official website. Applicants must submit a project plan and a personal information consent form. Gwangju City will review documents and conduct interviews, selecting the final 30 participants by next month.

Each selected participant will receive up to 1.4 million won in project activity funding. Teams may receive up to 5 million won depending on the number of members. The support funds can be used for accommodation, transportation, and project implementation expenses. Additionally, participants will be provided with one-on-one consultations with professional consultants, career and job exploration education, and mentoring programs.

Participants will carry out their projects outside of Gwangju for 30 days between July and September. The fields covered are divided into career exploration types—such as information technology (IT), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, culture and arts, eco-friendly and renewable initiatives, digital content like video, webtoons, and games, and startup experience—and social exploration types, including community development, social economy, and comparative experiences of youth policies.

Kwon Yoonsook, Director of the Youth Policy Division of Gwangju City, said, "We hope this will be a time for young people to discover their potential by encountering new regions, people, and experiences," adding, "We will provide support so that this can become a turning point for career planning and personal growth."

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