Policy Proposals Directly Designed by Youth in Songpa-gu?

On the 5th, Songpa-gu held the ‘Youth Policy Forum’… 30 participants including youth representatives and district council members

Four policy proposals including support for certification exam fees… High interest in overall district administration

Policy proposal submitted to the district council… Songpa-gu actively reflects policies to expand youth participation

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"To open the door to employment, language, Korean history, and computer certifications are essential, but the exam fees alone cost 500,000 won. This is a huge burden for youth without income. Support for exam fees would be a great help."

This was a suggestion made by a young person at the ‘Songpa Youth Policy Forum’ held by Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) on the 5th.

This forum marked the conclusion of the ‘Songpa Youth Policy Academy,’ which the district held for the first time this year to promote policies essential for youth.

Over 30 young people gathered in one place to share youth policy agendas discovered over two months since June and discuss detailed implementation plans.

The youth looked beyond major interest areas to examine needs across society such as education and welfare, discovering a total of four policies and showing a strong willingness to actively participate in district administration.

The proposed policies are ▲ Support for certification exam fees for youth in Songpa-gu ▲ Discovery, nurturing, and activation of investment ecosystems for startups located in Songpa-gu ▲ Establishment of a cultural and artistic platform for young artists ▲ Activation of a primary care physician system to guarantee medical accessibility for people with disabilities.

In particular, regarding the ‘support for certification exam fees’ directly linked to youth employment, the policy was carefully designed to enhance effectiveness by proposing a specific amount of support per person annually, one-time extension for vulnerable groups, and differential support according to income brackets.

In response, the district evaluated that nurturing youth policy proposal capabilities through the Youth Academy was a great help.

In fact, the district paired youth with legislative experts such as lawyers, former National Assembly aides, and district council members as mentors to impart knowledge on the ordinance enactment process and budget securing necessary for practical policy implementation.

The policies discovered that day were delivered to the Songpa-gu district council members.

Mayor Seo Gang-seok stated, “Songpa-gu will also discuss the proposed policies in depth with related departments to ensure that the voices of youth are actively reflected,” adding, “We will listen more closely to youth voices in the future and promote policies that can be tangibly felt so that young people can choose and design their own futures.”

Considering the regional characteristic of having the second-largest youth population in Seoul with 197,302 young people, Songpa-gu is striving to discover youth policies. This year, for the first time, it conducted a ‘Youth Policy Survey’ to hear voices from the field and is making multifaceted efforts such as operating the Songpa Youth Network, holding special lectures for single-person youth households, and supporting exhibitions by young artists.

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