Korea ramps up support for marginalized youth

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sat, December 9, 2023 | 23:50

Politics

Korea ramps up support for marginalized youth

Posted : 2023-09-19 17:06

Updated : 2023-09-20 14:54

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Concerns grow as suspects in recent crimes believed to have lived in seclusion

By Jun Ji-hye

The government unveiled a set of new welfare policies on Tuesday that aim to reach out to young people who are living in social isolation.

Socially isolated people are those who do not have meaningful interactions with others, except family, for more than six months, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.

According to the report written by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs in May, the number of socially isolated young people was 5 percent in 2021. When the ratio is applied to the youth population of 10.8 million in that year, the population of isolated young people is estimated to be at 538,000.

The welfare ministry said it has prepared various channels, such as telephone and text messages, through which isolated youth can ask for help, along with psychological consultation and other programs, such as cooking classes, to help them form relationships with others.

Cohousing programs will also be offered that will enable isolated youth to live with others who face similar situations and learn how to manage everyday life together.

Specialized institutions will be established in four cities and provinces next year to offer community care to such people. These institutions will be expanded across the country in 2026.

The new measures were finalized during a policy meeting between the conservative ruling People Power Party and the government.

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong, second from left, speaks during a policy meeting between the conservative ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the government at the National Assembly, Tuesday. At left is Rep. Park Dae-chul, the PPP's chief policymaker. Yonhap

The ministry said young people have faced increasing difficulties due to the recent surge in housing costs and widening income gap, but socially marginalized young people have fallen into a welfare blind spot.

The new measures come at a time when criminologists evaluated that suspects in recent heinous crimes, including 30-year-old Choi Yoon-jong, had lived in seclusion from society.

Choi brutally assaulted and raped a woman on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong in Seoul on Aug. 17. The victim, who remained unconscious following the attack, died two days later.

On Aug. 31, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea asked the welfare ministry to draw up timely support measures. At the time, the commission said, "The isolation of young people deteriorates their physical and mental health and adversely affects their family, becoming a serious social problem."

Other measures unveiled include increasing government subsidies from 400,000 won ($301) to 500,000 won for those preparing to return to normal social life. The number of public officials in charge of supporting those people will increase to 230 next year from the current 180.

The government will also expand its welfare services for the so-called young carers who have to look after their dependent family members for various reasons including illness, so are unable to plan their own futures.

The ministry estimated the number of these young carers at about 100,000 nationwide.

It said 2 million won will be offered annually to support their study and employment preparation as well as health management.

Mental health services will be enhanced as well, enabling young people to have medical checkups more often ― from every 10 years to every two years ― in hopes of helping to identify mental illnesses including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This will go into effect as early as 2025.

The government allocated a 330.9 billion won budget for next year to facilitate its new welfare services for isolated young people, up 43 percent from this year's budget.

"These new policies are meaningful in that supportive measures for young people, who have fallen into the welfare blind spot, are created," Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong said. "The government will continue to explore additional policies for these young people to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their goals."

jjh@koreatimes.co.kr