President Lee: "Young People Are Becoming Vulnerable... Support Must Be 'Broader and Stronger'"

President Lee Chairs Senior Secretaries' Meeting
Orders Complete Overhaul of Youth Policies Centered on Education, Employment, Assets, Housing, and Marriage
"Heatwave Is a National Climate Disaster"
Calls for Mobilizing All Administrative E

On August 6, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "Young people are now almost becoming a vulnerable class," and ordered that youth policy initiatives dispersed across various ministries be thoroughly reorganized around key areas of the life cycle, such as education, employment, income and assets, housing, and marriage. Addressing the record-breaking heatwave sweeping the nation, he diagnosed it as a "national climate disaster" and instructed that all available administrative resources be focused on protecting vulnerable groups, including residents of shantytowns and outdoor workers.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Senior Secretary Meeting held at the Blue House on August 6, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In his opening remarks at the Senior Secretary Meeting held at the Blue House that day, President Lee said, "Out of all state affairs, one of the things that needs to be accelerated is measures for youth," making these remarks. He explained, "Although the government is preparing many policies, there are frequent criticisms that youth projects by ministry lack connectivity and that it is difficult to easily grasp the details. Policies must be thoroughly refined to align with the real needs and life stages of young people, and we must maximize the synergy among support policies."

President Lee also mentioned the results of a recent targeted group interview (FGI) conducted by the Blue House with young people. He said, "There are many different youth policies, but there are few organic policies that address core issues, according to much public feedback." He stressed, "We must proactively review ways to reorganize policies around the core areas of youth life, such as education, employment, income and assets, housing, and marriage."

He also ordered that support methods be finely segmented according to the characteristics of each policy. President Lee said, "For parts requiring universal support, we should lower the barrier so that more young people can benefit, while for aspects needing tailored support, we should design a more comprehensive support system."

President Lee suggested establishing an AI-based guidance system to enhance policy accessibility. Since various youth policies are scattered among different ministries, there is criticism that "only those in the know" can utilize them. He said, "Instead of just passively waiting for applications, it would be good to build an AI online system that proactively notifies eligible individuals, thereby inducing as many applications as possible."

Regarding the recent confusion among some applicants due to incorrect guidance during the screening process for the Youth Future Savings Account, he directed the relevant authorities to respond meticulously. President Lee emphasized, "Closely monitor the situation to ensure there are no unjust victims, and when introducing a new system, make every effort to provide accurate information. The entire system must be continuously improved from the perspective of the youth, who are not only the recipients but also the beneficiaries, rather than from the viewpoint of the providers."

Additionally, President Lee urged that the level and speed of policy response to the current heatwave be raised to the highest stage. He stated, "The worst heatwave in history is sweeping the nation. This is a national climate disaster. With a greater sense of urgency than ever before, we must raise the level, range, and speed of policy response to their highest limits."

He specifically ordered more robust field response measures to prevent the effects of the heatwave from concentrating among the socially disadvantaged. President Lee said, "Every disaster is always a greater threat to those in difficulty," and called for an intensive safety inspection targeting residents of vulnerable facilities such as goshiwons, shantytowns, and greenhouses, as well as laborers at construction sites, in rural and fishing villages, and in parking lots. He added, "Although it will be difficult, I ask frontline public officials to directly inspect the field for our more vulnerable citizens and swiftly implement necessary measures."

He further stressed the need for fundamental improvements to housing, water supply, power grids, and heatwave response facilities in response to the normalization of climate disasters. For traditional markets experiencing reduced summer sales due to a lack of cooling facilities, he instructed that plans to expand relevant equipment also be considered for next year's budget proposal. President Lee said, "No citizen's life or death should be determined by where they live or work. Please focus all efforts on responding to the heatwave disaster."

Meanwhile, regarding the second round of ministry work reports, which concluded the previous day, President Lee repeatedly emphasized policy execution and tangible impact on the public. Noting that the government term has about 1,400 days remaining, he said, "Although work reports are over, what really matters is from now on. What is important is not grand designs or blueprints but sincere dedication and swift action to actually improve people's lives." He continued, "Even policies that began with good intentions are worse than useless if the public does not feel their effect or if they actually harm people's daily lives. If there are problems, we need flexible and proactive administration that can actively fix any issue, in any situation, with no sacred cows."

For false and manipulated reporting by domestic or foreign outlets, President Lee ordered that each ministry be held responsible for its response. He said, "Information forming the basis for public judgment must be objective and accurate to enable correct decisions. Respond strictly to any acts of spreading fake or manipulated information to distort or fabricate public opinion."

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