"Youth 'Resting' Is No Longer Just a Personal Issue"... Blue House Policy Chief: 1.9 Trillion Won Supplementary Budget for Youth New Deal

Diagnosing a Decline in Youth Employment Amid AI Proliferation... "Direct Opportunities for About 110,000 People"

"Hoping This Leads to Change Where Young People Feel 'I Can Really Start Again'"

Kim Yongbeom, policy chief at the Presidential Office, stated on March 31 that the so-called "resting" issue among young people can no longer be left solely to individuals. He announced that the supplementary budget includes measures for the Youth New Deal and funding for startup support.

In a Facebook post titled "Experience for Youth: The Youth New Deal and Startup for All," Kim wrote, "There are persistent statistics on those who are 'resting,' and most of them are young people," explaining his perspective.

Kim said, "After wrapping up the first round of customs negotiations last year, I took another look at the economic indicators and could not simply pass over these numbers. A closer examination of the youth employment situation revealed that the employment rate has been noticeably declining since 2023, which coincides with the period when artificial intelligence (AI) began entering daily life and industry in earnest."

Yonhap News Agency

He continued, "As AI rapidly replaces standardized work, the impact has been even greater on young people who are just starting out in society. The situation is repeating where young people prepare themselves but cannot find opportunities, and where experience is required but the chance to gain it is not given."

Kim especially pointed out, "Many young people still find themselves having to mark 'no experience' on their first job applications. Currently, many are caught between preparing for employment, being unemployed, and being in a 'resting' state. Competition has become fiercer, jobs have decreased, and recruitment standards have been raised."

He also referenced a statement by President Lee Jaemyung earlier this year. Kim said, "The President's words that 'young people pushed out of the labor market are required to have experience, but no one takes responsibility for their starting line' continue to resonate."

Kim explained that the Youth New Deal measures included in this supplementary budget stem from this awareness of the problem. He said, "Rather than dividing young people by specific criteria, we focused on acknowledging each person's situation and pace and providing suitable options. We wanted to broaden the available paths so that starting out does not have to be the same for everyone, encompassing both the process of preparing for employment and the path of creating one's own work."

He especially emphasized the increased potential for entrepreneurship due to the lowered technological barriers resulting from AI proliferation. Kim stated, "If you have ideas and the ability to execute them, there is greater potential to create your own opportunities, even without large resources. I hope that with these expanded paths, young people can gain experience not only through employment but also by starting businesses, and that this process becomes a stepping stone for advancement."

To this end, Kim said the government has allocated about 900 billion won for startup support and about 1 trillion won for Youth New Deal programs, such as job training and work experience. "Combining the process of preparing for jobs and the path of creating one's own opportunities, we estimate that approximately 110,000 young people will receive direct opportunities," he explained.

Specifically, the "K-New Deal Academy," a large company participation job training program, will be expanded to accommodate 15,000 people, and existing student-centered programs will be opened up to graduates and job-seeking youth as well. Kim said, "We focused on making this not just simple education but a preparation process that can actually lead to employment."

He also stated that project-based, on-site work experience programs will provide career-building opportunities to 23,000 people. "This is to reduce the situation where lack of experience prevents employment and lack of employment prevents gaining experience," he explained. "Being able to say 'I have done it at least once' is necessary to move on to the next stage."

Additionally, the government will expand the National Employment Support System to include 30,000 more young people with no prior job-seeking experience and will strengthen various private sector programs, youth-accessible spaces, and connection networks. He added that, if necessary, they are considering approaches where support can be proactively delivered to those in need.

Kim emphasized, "Rather than being a grand policy, the Youth New Deal started with the question: 'What is most needed by young people right now?' There was clear consensus that it should offer another chance for young people stuck at the starting line."

He added, "When even one young person begins to move again, the change does not remain individual but spreads to those around them, ultimately strengthening society as a whole. I hope this policy will not stop at simple support, but will lead to real change, allowing young people to feel they can truly 'start again.'"

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