Gwanak District Appoints Ryu Sunghyun as 4th Gwanak Youth Center Head... Enhancing Operations

Strengthening "Youth Sovereignty" Through Direct Policy and Budget Decisions by Young People
Autonomous Budget System and Customized Step-by-Step Support Structure

Gwanak District in Seoul (headed by Park Junhee) announced on the 26th that it has appointed Ryu Sunghyun as the fourth head of Gwanak Youth Center, who will represent the voices of local youth and lead new youth policy initiatives. The appointment was made on the 25th.

Junhee Park, Mayor of Gwanak District (left), is taking a commemorative photo after presenting a certificate of appointment to Seunghyun Ryu, Director of Gwanak Youth Center. Provided by Gwanak District.

The head of Gwanak Youth Center plays a key role in youth policy, empowering young people to directly decide and take the lead in policy and budget decisions. To ensure a proactive and autonomous operation of the youth center, Gwanak District appoints the chairman of the operations committee—who is directly elected by the youth themselves—as the honorary head of Gwanak Youth Center.

This initiative is part of the core pledge of the 9th civil administration to "enhance the operation of the Gwanak Youth Center." The district plans to strengthen the authority of the operations committee and establish a system where young people have the direct power to determine policy and project directions. In particular, each year in the first half, a "youth autonomous budget system" will be run, allowing youth to propose, review, and decide on project agendas themselves.

As the fourth head of Gwanak Youth Center, Ryu Sunghyun stated, "I will actively communicate with both the operations committee and young people to ensure that the many voices of youth are translated into real change, and will build a youth-led Gwanak Youth Center."

The Gwanak Youth Center is the largest standalone youth facility among autonomous districts in Seoul, spanning from the first basement level to the seventh floor above ground, with a total floor area of 1,528.86 square meters. Since its opening in April 2023, cumulative users have reached 280,000, and the center supports a wide range of youth activities including community programs, counseling, employment capacity building, culture and art, and entrepreneurship.

Gwanak District has the highest youth population ratio among all districts nationwide at 41.7 percent, and has been strengthening its "youth-friendly city" branding with the Gwanak Youth Center at its core.

Going forward, the district will pursue a customized support system that supports young people at every stage of life. Programs will be established to support not only employment, but also all aspects of youth life, including mental health, daily recovery, career exploration, and employment connections.

Additionally, the district will nurture youth leader groups in various fields and operate residencies and pop-up stores to exhibit and sell youth artists' creative works. Facility operation hours will also be extended to improve convenience for office workers and job seekers.

District head Park Junhee stated, "The Gwanak Youth Center is a cradle of 'youth democracy' where young people independently propose and decide policy," adding, "With the appointment of the fourth head and by granting real authority to the operations committee, we will realize 'Gwanak as Korea’s youth capital,' where the youth themselves take ownership."

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