Gwangmyeong City Strengthens Safety Net for At-Risk Youth... Selects 10 for Special Support

City Expands Customized Support for Youth in Crisis
Special Assistance Program to Run for Five Months

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province is strengthening customized support for youth in crisis, such as those facing economic difficulties or lacking protection.

On the 20th, Gwangmyeong City held the "First Youth Welfare Deliberation Committee Meeting of 2026" at the Gwangmyeong Lifelong Learning Center. Photo by Gwangmyeong City

On May 20, the city held the "1st Youth Welfare Deliberation Committee Meeting of 2026" at the Gwangmyeong City Lifelong Learning Center, where members discussed the selection of special support recipients and methods to assist youth in crisis.

The Youth Welfare Deliberation Committee is a collaborative body that brings together youth-related organizations—including the Department of Education and Youth, the Integrated Care Department, the Gender Equality and Family Department, the 1388 Youth Support Group, and the Youth Counseling and Welfare Center—to discuss support for at-risk youth and ways to connect various agencies.

The Special Support for Youth program provides assistance with living expenses, health, academics, self-reliance, counseling, and activities for youth in crisis aged between 9 and 24 who are experiencing social or economic hardship.

At the meeting, the committee conducted a comprehensive review of the living conditions and support needs of youth identified and nominated by local administrative welfare centers and related organizations, and selected 10 recipients for special support in the first half of the year.

The selected youth will receive tailored special support funds—such as living support, activity support, and counseling support—over a five-month period. The total budget for this year's special support program is 32 million won, with 16 million won allocated for the first half of the year.

The meeting also included a review of last year's special support initiatives for youth and shared information on welfare support projects for at-risk youth.

Last year, the city convened the Youth Welfare Working Committee four times to discuss 50 cases involving at-risk youth, providing customized services such as reimbursement of actual expenses, counseling, mentoring, and referrals to relevant agencies.

Choi Hyemin, Acting Mayor (Deputy Mayor) of Gwangmyeong City, stated, "Youth welfare becomes truly effective when schools, local communities, and counseling and welfare agencies work together. Gwangmyeong City will further strengthen its youth safety net to identify youth in crisis more quickly and ensure that the necessary support is continuous and uninterrupted."

The city plans to continue working with youth-related organizations to identify at-risk youth early and provide ongoing customized support and post-support monitoring.

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