Gyeonggi Province Youth Participation Body to Launch Full Operations to Incorporate Youth Voices into Policy

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] The 'Gyeonggi Youth Support Project Team,' operated by the Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation, held online orientation sessions on the 17th and 24th for participants of the Gyeonggi Province Youth Participation Body to begin their full-scale activities, the foundation announced on the 27th.

The Gyeonggi Province Youth Participation Body is an organization where Gyeonggi Province youth share stories and create a foundation for provincial policies to address difficulties and inconveniences young people face in their daily lives.

Through a recruitment process held in June, a total of 2,179 applicants applied, demonstrating Gyeonggi youth's strong willingness to actively participate in society. Among them, 205 individuals selected through final lottery held their launch ceremony on the 26th of last month and began their activities with orientation sessions in July as their terms commenced.

The orientation featured a special lecture by Jang Jae-yeol, CEO of 'Youth Counseling Center: Unnis Who've Had Fun,' which addressed sincere stories about youth social participation. Mo Gyeong-jong, Gyeonggi Province Youth Secretary, delivered a lecture on the role of the Youth Participation Body and the province's expectations from a youth perspective.

This was followed by regional networking sessions for committee members led by existing youth activists in the province.

Park Je-se, a youth participation committee member from Goyang City who attended this orientation, shared, "Through networking with youth facing similar concerns and expert lectures, I was able to feel a sense of belonging and overcome uncertainties about policy. Going forward, as a youth committee member, I will continue active activities so that more youth can overcome their unfamiliarity with policy and present diverse opinions," he said.

The members of the Gyeonggi Province Youth Participation Body consist of diverse social sectors, including teachers, social workers, bus drivers, freelancers, career-interrupted individuals, students, job seekers, and youth activists.

Since existing youth activists in the province who have been active centered on basic local governments have decided to participate in activating the Gyeonggi Province Youth Body, the province expects that future youth policies in Gyeonggi Province will adequately reflect the voices of young people.

Jin Seok-beom, CEO of the Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation, stated, "We will do our best to ensure that the Gyeonggi Province Youth Participation Body successfully takes root by providing active administrative support and carefully examining diverse cases from other local governments."

The Gyeonggi Province Youth Participation Body plans to carry out regional and departmental activities and workshops to strengthen the capacity of youth committee members. The term of this first cohort of committee members runs until June 2022.

For detailed inquiries regarding the Youth Participation Body, contact the Gyeonggi Youth Support Project Team at 031-898-9349.