Mayor Park Seungwon: "We Will Complete a 'Youth Basic Society' Where Young People Can Grow Stably"

Gwangmyeong City Launches Comprehensive Youth Policy to Guarantee 'Youth Basics'

Accelerating the Realization of a 'Basic Society for Youth'... All-Out Support for Jobs, Housing, and Welfare

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Park Seungwon) is accelerating its efforts to realize a "Basic Society for Youth" that encompasses everything from jobs to housing and welfare.

Young people participating in the "Gwangmyeong City Youth Day Festival" held at the Civic Movement Center in September 2024 are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

The city announced on the 19th that it will actively implement a variety of policies this year to guarantee the foundations of young people's lives and support their growth, based on the "2nd Gwangmyeong City Youth Policy Basic Plan (2025~2029)" and the "2026 Gwangmyeong City Youth Policy Implementation Plan."

The core of Gwangmyeong City's youth policy goes beyond simple support, aiming to realize a "basic society" that guarantees the foundations of young people's lives. The city is concentrating its resources on building "opportunity capital," which enables youth to grow independently, and establishing robust "basic services" that provide daily security.

Expanding 'Opportunity Capital' to Broaden Youth Potential... Strengthening Employment & Startup Competencies and Realizing 'Youth Autonomy'

The city is implementing multifaceted support to expand "opportunity capital," helping young people accumulate human and social assets to broaden their prospects.

First, to strengthen youth employment and entrepreneurship capabilities, the city operates more than 330 youth public job programs (including Youth Part-Time Jobs, Youth Growth, and Gwangmyeong Youth Internships), offering opportunities to gain experience in public sectors such as administration, welfare, and culture.

Additionally, this year, with a total of over 400 million won in funding—including national funds secured by winning a bid for the Ministry of Employment and Labor's "Youth Challenge Support Project"—the city will provide step-by-step customized programs for 78 young people who have given up on job seeking. Programs for youth aged 18 to 34 who have withdrawn from the job market will be offered as short-term (5 weeks), mid-term (15 weeks), and long-term (25 weeks) courses. Depending on completion, participants can receive up to 3.5 million won in stipends, supporting their path to independence in practical terms.

The city is also committed to fostering talent to lead the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Through the "All-AI-One Job Competency Enhancement Package," Gwangmyeong provides one-stop support for the entire employment process, from AI training to competency assessment and practical exercises. By expanding the range of training recipients, more young people are given opportunities to acquire advanced technology skills. In addition, 200 million won of city funds will be invested to continue the "Customized Talent Development Project in the Fourth Industrial Sector," enhancing future technology expertise among youth.

In the startup field, a "three-stage startup ladder" system has been established, encompassing ▲startup support, ▲growth of startup companies, and ▲support for investment attraction and market expansion, actively encouraging youth to take on new challenges.

Since 2018, the "Startup Funding Support Project," now in its ninth year, has been helping young entrepreneurs lacking initial capital and experience to grow their businesses.

Furthermore, the city plans to build a comprehensive startup support system that covers all stages, from early entrepreneurship to growth-stage companies, by operating the "Gwangmyeong Innovation Startup Scale-up Accelerating" program (supporting the growth and investment attraction of promising local companies) and the "Startup Challenge" (promoting the attraction of glocal companies and the establishment of joint ventures).

In addition, in connection with the development of the Gwangmyeong-Siheung Technovalley, the city intends to support outstanding startups so they can establish a stable presence in the region.

In particular, the city views "relationship-building" and "youth autonomy," in which young people grow as key actors in their community, as essential opportunity capital and is strengthening support in these areas.

Building on the existing youth hubs "Cheongnyeondong" and "Cheongchun Gotgan," the city is planning to expand physical hubs by establishing a tentative "Third Youth Center" within the Iljik-dong Life Culture Welfare Center.

The city will also launch a new "Neighborhood-based Gathering Platform" project to nurture "local creators" (local value entrepreneurs) who leverage local resources and to support youth in building relationships. Additionally, the city's signature "Youth Idea Expansion Project" will be subdivided into community-oriented and entrepreneurship-oriented types, providing support not only for relationship-building but also for youth to grow into leading innovators in their community.

Moreover, by utilizing participatory organizations such as the Youth Deliberative Budget Forum, the Mayor's Youth Committee, and the Youth Parliament, the city plans to complete a "youth autonomy" model, enabling young people to directly design and implement policies.

Participants of the "Youth Policy Idea Exhibition" workshop held at Cheongchun Gokgan in November 2024 are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

Strengthening 'Basic Services' such as Housing, Welfare, and Mental Health to Secure Stability in Young People's Lives

The city is also building a comprehensive basic service system covering housing, welfare, and mental health so that young people can experience tangible benefits in their daily lives.

First, to support stable housing for youth and help them settle into local jobs, the city will provide rental housing specifically for young people.

In partnership with Gwangmyeong Urban Corporation, the city plans to supply 152 units of Happy Housing (employment-linked support housing) scheduled for completion in the second half of this year on the Gwangmyeong Soha public facility site, targeting young people and newlywed couples with business or earned income.

Previously, the city prioritized the supply of two units in Gwangmyeong Prugio Centvert Apartments (Gwangmyeong No. 15R district) and seventeen units in Gwangmyeong Arc Fore Jaai Weave Apartments (Gwangmyeong No. 16R district), both built after redevelopment projects, to young people and newlywed couples.

In addition, the city will strengthen the safety net for youth housing through various programs, including ▲the "Youth Monthly Rent Special Support Project," which provides up to 200,000 won per month for two years to young people without homes, ▲the "Jeonse Monthly Rent Loan Interest Support Project," which extends eligibility up to age 45 and offers up to 700,000 won per year, and ▲the "Jeonse Deposit Return Guarantee Fee Support Project," which protects young people from rental fraud.

The city will also provide universal welfare and psychological self-reliance support.

The "Youth Basic Income" program (for all 24-year-olds) and the "Enlistment Support Fund" (for young people entering military service) will continue, ensuring rights as members of society regardless of income.

This year, in particular, the city will establish counseling rooms for young people who are taking a break or are isolated, not limiting support to simple counseling and treatment but also providing a 12-week "growth" program. Those who complete all phases will be encouraged to participate in the Neighborhood-based Gathering Platform as local creators, creating a virtuous cycle that addresses social isolation. This model, unique to Gwangmyeong City, provides young people with the opportunity to redefine themselves as members of their community, going beyond psychological self-reliance to offer hope and the possibility of new change.

Through programs such as the "Youth Mind Link" project and the "Youth Mental Health Support Project," the city will provide professional psychological counseling and treatment support, giving young people a solid safety net as they return to society.

Mayor Park Seungwon stated, "Gwangmyeong City's youth policy aims to guarantee the rights of youth across all aspects of life and to offer opportunities for growth, ultimately realizing a 'basic society.' We will focus our efforts so that young people can dream and take on challenges without worrying about housing and livelihood, and grow together with Gwangmyeong on a stable foundation."

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