[young域] Am I Not Considered a Young Person?

Many Youth Policies, Yet Narrow Definition of “Young People”
Youth May Remain as Policy Objects, Not Agents
Need for Efforts to Embrace Diversity Among Young People

There are many policies for young people. However, the image of young people envisioned by these policies is quite limited. These policies mainly target those preparing for employment, working in a company, or getting ready to start a business. Support for these types of young people is readily available. On the other hand, young people who live differently are sometimes overlooked by policy.

This is because youth policies are designed primarily around economic activity. Supporting jobs and income is an important task for their independence and settlement. In reality, university students who are about to graduate focus on gaining experiences necessary for employment. Some continue extracurricular activities or prepare for exams instead of graduating right away. As a result, they become more distanced from money-making opportunities, making it inevitable for their financial situation to become strained. In this regard, there is a significant match between the young people that policies envision and support and the actual needs of young people in reality.

However, not all young people fit within these boundaries. Some take a break after failure or burnout; others haven't yet decided what to do, or are considering a life unrelated to economic activity. For these young people, job information or employment subsidies alone are not enough.

While conducting research related to the Youth Basic Ordinance in Daegu last year, I began to question this issue. Daegu enacted its Youth Basic Ordinance in 2015, becoming the third city in the nation to do so, and then expanded its policy areas to include jobs, start-ups, housing, finance, welfare, culture, and youth participation. It is no longer a matter of lacking proper systems. Now, more important than the number of policies is considering what kinds of young people's lives are actually reflected within them.

Youth policies in provinces are often guided by the objective of preventing young people from leaving the region. Instead of first asking what kind of life young people want, they focus on how to keep youth from leaving. When this happens, young people risk becoming the subjects of policy rather than its agents. The fact that jobs are important for young people does not mean every young person needs job-related policies. The support required differs for those taking a break from job hunting, those outside the labor market due to caregiving or health reasons, and those who have yet to decide on a career path. If administrative needs create a single model of youth and attempt to apply similar support to all, anyone who does not fit into this model is inevitably pushed out.

Graduates are taking commemorative photos at a university in Seoul on the 18th of last month, amid a recent over 15% decrease in new hires by major domestic conglomerates over the past two years. Photo by Yonhap News

Interestingly, the legal and institutional definition of youth is actually quite broad. According to the Daegu Youth Basic Ordinance, youth are those aged between 19 and 39. In other words, a 23-year-old university student, a 39-year-old office worker, someone preparing for exams, and someone preparing to start a business are all grouped within a single demographic. The age range is this wide, yet the life envisioned by policy is narrowly centered on employment, entrepreneurship, and settlement. Since income, housing, family relationships, and labor market experiences vary, the support needed cannot possibly be the same.

Of course, it is difficult to capture every single life experience of young people through policy. Some standardization and allocation of limited resources are necessary. Still, it is frustrating that young people are often viewed only as population to be retained in the region, or as future entrants into the labor market. Is it impossible to have policies that support even those who are taking a break or who are temporarily uncertain about their next steps—rather than only young people who fit a certain mold defined by policy?

When new policies are being created, I hope there is a moment of reflection on what kind of young person they are imagining. If someone must remain outside the boundary of policy simply because the life they lead differs from what policy expects, our society must face an uncomfortable question: "Am I not considered a young person?"

Gong Dayeon, Department of Sociology, Kyungpook National University

The Asia Business Daily welcomes submissions from young writers with diverse thoughts and experiences. Contributions will be published in the [young域] section and shared with a wide audience. If you wish to participate, please submit your opinion piece, about 2,000 words, along with a brief introduction about yourself, to column@asiae.co.kr. After review, we will inform you whether it will be published. Selected articles will appear in print and online at The Asia Business Daily, and a modest honorarium will be provided.

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