Kim Yongbeom: "Greater Interest Than Expected in 'K-New Deal Academy' ... More Opportunities Will Be Provided for Youth"

"New Possibilities for Solving Youth Employment Issues Identified"
"A Considerable Number of Selected Academies to Be Operated Outside the Capital Region"

Kim Yongbeom, policy chief of the Presidential Secretariat, announced on June 25 that more companies than expected participated in the "K-New Deal Academy" project, which was promoted as part of the supplementary budget. He stated, "We will provide more young people with such opportunities going forward."

Kim Yongbeom, policy chief of the Presidential Secretariat, is giving the opening remarks at the Kwanhun Debate held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on June 24, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

In a post on Facebook that day, Kim said, "Since this year’s project was carried out as part of the supplementary budget, there were some regrets about not being able to expand its scale sufficiently due to the short time for system design and implementation." According to the recruitment results, 107 companies applied for 149 academies, and after a review, 72 academies from 53 companies were selected. Approximately 8,200 young people are expected to participate.

The K-New Deal Academy is a youth employment support project established to alleviate the growing number of young people classified as "resting" at the time the supplementary budget was formulated. Companies directly design and operate educational programs, and young participants gain job experience through on-site projects and mentoring. The full cost of training is covered by national funding, and participating youth also receive a training allowance.

Kim stated, "With more companies participating than anticipated, we were able to see new possibilities for addressing youth employment issues," adding, "Such interest cannot be attributed solely to the creation of a new educational program." He went on to explain, "The job market environment facing young people has changed significantly, and companies are also sharing the awareness that new approaches to talent development are needed."

He continued, "While AI is increasing productivity and creating new opportunities, it can also become a higher barrier to entry for young people just starting out in society. Companies want talent who can be put to work immediately in the field, but it has become more difficult for young people to gain the experience needed." He pointed out, "This paradox—where experience is required but a starting point is not provided—continues to be repeated."

Major companies such as SK, KT, LG, Lotte, and Hanwha Ocean are participating in this project. SK hynix is operating "Youth Hy-Po," a talent training program for semiconductors, while SK AX is fostering talent in the AI and cloud sectors. KT is focusing on AI transformation as well as nurturing field-ready talent in the AX and ICT sectors. NC AI will train talent in game and AI content creation at regional hubs such as Busan, Daejeon, and Gwangju. Kim said, "Current employees participate in education and mentoring, participants work on projects similar to actual work, and some of these courses even lead to employment."

He also highlighted the significance of including a substantial number of programs outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Kim stated, "A considerable number of selected academies will be operated outside the capital region," adding, "If talent can grow locally rather than leaving their regions, and companies can nurture needed talent together in those regions, this could become a valuable seed for balanced national development."

He concluded, "For young people, experience is their greatest competitive edge, and for companies, people are the most important investment. I hope that the outstanding creativity and passion of our youth will lead to the growth of companies, and corporate investment will in turn create new opportunities for young people, establishing a virtuous cycle that will become a new competitive strength for Korea."

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