Minister Park Hongkeun's Three-Hour On-Site Relay: One-thousand Won Breakfast, Special Lecture, and Youth Rental Housing Visit at Korea University

"Pledge to Raise 'One-thousand Won Breakfast' Subsidy to 3,000 Won"


"Inspection of Youth Rental Housing 'Anam Life' After Special Lecture"

Hongkeun Park, Minister of Strategy and Finance, visited a university neighborhood to listen to real concerns from young people, such as food expenses and housing, and pledged proactive large-scale investments and strong fiscal reforms in response to demographic changes and the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.

Hongkeun Park, Minister of Strategy and Finance, is having a conversation while sharing "Thousand-Won Breakfast" with Korea University students at the student cafeteria in the student union building of Korea University in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the morning of September 14. Ministry of Strategy and Finance.

On the morning of September 14, Minister Park held a breakfast meeting with members of the student council at the student union building of Korea University in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, where they shared the "One-thousand Won Breakfast." During the session, Minister Park listened to the challenges faced by university students who are burdened by rising food and housing costs due to recent high inflation. The "One-thousand Won Breakfast" is a government-supported program that offers breakfast for 1,000 won, with students paying 1,000 won and the remaining cost covered jointly by the government, local governments, and universities. The program is currently being implemented at about 200 universities, and the government has included an increase in the subsidy per meal (from 2,000 won to 3,000 won) in next year's budget proposal.

Minister Park then gave a special lecture titled "The Age of Great Transformation: The Road Ahead for Korea" to around 100 people, including students and professors at Korea University. He emphasized actively utilizing the 2027 national budget—which was set at 820.9 trillion won, a 12.8% increase in total expenditure—as well as a future response fund, to ensure Korea secures an irreplaceable competitive edge in this pivotal period of civilization. In addition, Minister Park stated the government would pursue a complete overhaul of the Local Education Finance Grant System for the first time in 55 years to keep pace with rapid demographic shifts and will develop the "2045 National Development Strategy," targeting the 100th anniversary of Korea's liberation, to fundamentally transform the country’s social structure.

After the lecture, Minister Park visited "Anam Life," a nearby youth rental housing complex remodeled from a tourist hotel, to inspect the actual living conditions. The complex offers a security deposit of 1 million won with monthly rent ranging from 270,000 to 350,000 won and features community facilities such as shared kitchens, coworking spaces, and meeting rooms to meet young residents' needs. Minister Park checked on the housing environment for young entrepreneurs and students onsite, and discussed with the management staff policy directions for tailored housing support to enable stable independent living.

The Ministry of Strategy and Finance stated, "We will continue to listen to opinions about the challenges young people face in all aspects of life and their needs for policy support, and will keep expanding opportunities for government assistance and future preparation that young people can feel in their daily lives."

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