Yangcheon District Wins 'Communication Award' at Youth-Friendly Parliamentary Awards

Yangcheon District in Seoul (District Mayor Eugjae Lee) announced on September 20 that it received the 'Communication Award' at the 2026 Youth-Friendly Parliamentary Awards. The district was recognized for its efforts to incorporate the voices of young people into policies and to drive changes in the community together with the youth.

Lee Gijae, Yangcheon District Mayor (fourth from the left), is taking a commemorative photo with staff. Provided by Yangcheon District Office.

The Youth-Friendly Parliamentary Awards are granted by Youth and Future, which conducts a comprehensive evaluation of youth policies, communication and participation, and support for youth activities among local governments nationwide.

This marks the fourth time Yangcheon District has received the award, having previously taken home the Communication Award in 2020 and 2022, as well as the Policy Award in 2021. The district was highly praised for not limiting young people to the role of beneficiaries but expanding the foundation for them to directly propose policies and participate in district administration.

The district operates the 'Yangcheon Youth Network' and the 'Youth Policy Committee', which are youth participation bodies. The Youth Network, launched in 2019, brings together about 40 young committee members each year to identify key issues related to employment, housing, welfare, and other matters that closely affect youth lives, and to propose relevant policies.

The district also organizes the 'Youth Policy Competition,' which connects proposals from young people to actual projects. Last year, three of the outstanding proposals were selected as new projects for this year: 'Shinwol, Culture at a Glance,' which boosts interaction and community engagement among youths in Shinwol-dong; 'Yangcheon Youth Popup Day,' which supports the expansion of business channels for young entrepreneurs and culture and arts professionals; and 'Together Yangcheon Kit,' designed to help single-person households of newly relocated youths settle into the local community.

This year’s final round of the Youth Policy Competition will be held on October 14. The district plans to continue expanding the foundation for youth policy participation as well as providing support in the areas of employment, housing, culture, and welfare. These efforts include supporting application fees for national qualification exams for unemployed youth, monthly rent assistance, support for artistic creation, daily care, as well as hosting job fairs and special employment lectures.

District Mayor Eugjae Lee stated, “This award is the result of our consistent efforts to listen to the voices of the youth and to develop policies together with them. Going forward, we will further strengthen communication to ensure that young people actively participate in the policy process and that their voices are translated into practical policy measures.”

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