[Youth Isolation 24 Hours] Rep. Kim Mi-ae "Planning Legislation for Isolated Youth Life Support... Need to Establish Online Channels"

Kim Mi-ae, a member of the People Power Party, stated, "We are discussing legislation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to support the healthy social life of isolated and reclusive youth," adding, "We will consider various approaches, including discussions with the government and gathering expert opinions."

After the Asia Economy's special report [Youth Isolation 24 Hours], Rep. Kim promised, "In the 22nd National Assembly, I will pay more attention to activities for isolated and reclusive youth." She explained, "I occasionally meet parents in my constituency who want counseling regarding their children's reclusiveness. They are all full of worries and concerns," and added, "Many isolated youth suffer significant psychological and economic difficulties but often endure them alone due to fear of others' perceptions."

Rep. Kim, who was a member of the Health and Welfare Committee in the 21st National Assembly, has shown great interest in the issue of isolated and reclusive youth. In November last year, she took the lead in organizing the 'Policy Forum on National and Social Support Measures for Youth Isolation' to prepare countermeasures for the rapidly increasing number of isolated and reclusive youth.

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She particularly advised that the issue of youth isolation is intertwined with various social problems such as youth unemployment and is not easily visible, so it requires a multifaceted approach. Rep. Kim said, "As it becomes difficult to find jobs, more young people are entering the job market early, leading to an increase in single-person youth households," adding, "With physical conditions combined with psychological burdens, they are inevitably vulnerable to social isolation. If this is not managed, the rate of isolation and reclusion will increase sharply." She emphasized, "The issue of youth isolation should be approached from a different perspective than the isolation or loneliness of the elderly or middle-aged."

However, she pointed out that current government policies are still in their infancy and there is much room for improvement. She criticized the government's lack of investigation into high-risk groups who could fall into more severe forms of isolation. Rep. Kim said, "Although the government conducted a survey on isolated and reclusive youth in July and August last year and made efforts, practical measures to provide help are still insufficient," adding, "Only the outwardly visible reclusive loners have been identified, but it is unknown how many potential reclusive loners feel extreme isolation when alone despite living daily lives."

She also criticized the uneven distribution of support for these youth across regions. She said, "During the 2023 national audit, an analysis of youth isolation support projects by local governments showed that only six out of 17 metropolitan cities and provinces operated support projects," adding, "If the level of support varies depending on where one lives, the problem cannot be fundamentally solved."

Ultimately, she urged the government to take on the role of setting standards. Rep. Kim emphasized, "The government should be able to present uniform standards for local government support projects. Based on this, ordinances can be created and policies implemented, so the government must develop systems and manuals," adding, "The government also needs to take charge of training and educating professionals for counseling and treatment."

She proposed establishing an online counseling window that isolated and reclusive youth can easily access. She said, "Young people today are accustomed to communicating through social networking services (SNS), and this causes many feelings of deprivation," emphasizing, "Considering this, it is crucial to create a channel that youth with emotional burdens can easily access and communicate smoothly with experienced and professional counselors."

Finally, she urged active support, emphasizing that helping isolated and reclusive youth is not a waste of social costs at all. Rep. Kim stated, "It may seem that costs arise immediately from youth isolation policies, but that is absolutely not the case," adding, "An increase in isolated youth will lead to more social expenditures in the future due to a decrease in the productive population and an increase in welfare costs. We must remember that a healthy society and the country's future depend on having many healthy young people."

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