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| Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, third from left, meets enlisted soldiers at the Seoul Youth Guarantee Center in the city's Yongsan District, Monday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Ko Dong-hwan
The Seoul city government has decided to provide enlisted soldiers stationed in the city with various new support so as to help them integrate back into life outside of the barracks after being discharged from their mandatory military service.
The decision comes after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the city government's new policies on Monday. The policies are part of the city's?Youth Happiness Project, launched in March 2022 to help residents in their 20s and 30s with their careers, health, welfare and financial planning.
With the city government's new policies coming into force, enlisted soldiers will from now on be supplied with one-on-one financial consultations on how to manage their monthly wages and use their capital pools wisely after being discharged. Consultations are also offered for those with concerns regarding their mental health or those suffering from distress, which can be exacerbated by the sharp contrast of soldiers' daily living environments, being stationed in military camps for 18 months or longer compared with living in society once discharged.
Especially for those nearing the end of their service, the city government provides a special consultation to help them understand themselves better and plan for their careers. To help those interested in getting employed right after their discharge, the government provides more practical support, including job search consultations, job interview practice sessions using an AI interviewer as well as free suit rental for job interviews.
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| Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, left, and Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup pose after signing a memorandum of understanding on introducing the city government's new services, which support enlisted soldiers with job search assistance, mental health care and financial planning at Seoul Youth Guarantee Center in the city's Yongsan District on Monday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
On the sidelines of the MOU signing on Monday, the mayor met 18 enlisted male and female soldiers stationed in Seoul at the Seoul Youth Guarantee Center in Yongsan District. Sharing casual conversations with them while listening to their personal stories and concerns, the mayor encouraged them to use the new city services. Oh said the new services will broaden the range of their beneficiary targets gradually so that more enlisted soldiers can benefit from the services offered in the future.
"I hope the city's new services will be of help to you both practically and psychologically as you will have to face various imminent challenges after your discharge like schooling, employment, marriage and housing," Mayor Oh said.
Most of the enlisted soldiers are young adults in their 20s, the mayor said, and they should not miss out on any of Seoul's specialized new services that cater to both the city's young adults and the servicemen.
"With the joint partnership with the defense ministry, the city government will focus on promoting the services to enlisted soldiers as well as those who have already been discharged," the mayor said, "so that they can more easily get on their feet as independent members of society."
