'Bill to Build Integrated Support System Helping Vulnerable Youth Achieve Independence' Submitted to National Assembly

2024.08.07. The Fair Economy — Cho Eun-hui, a member of the National Assembly's Security and Public Administration Committee, announced on the 7th that she had proposed the 'Act on Support for the Self-Reliance of Vulnerable Youth' to help family care youth, isolated and reclusive youth, borderline intelligence youth, and other youth at risk of self-reliance.

According to Rep. Cho Eun-hui's office, the bill is a single law that goes beyond the limitations of the current Framework Act on Youth, which contains only declaratory provisions on "support for vulnerable youth." It specifies the legal basis for government programs by type of support, and has the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Prime Minister's Secretariat, which oversee and coordinate youth policy, manage this support in an integrated manner.

Vulnerable young people, including those caring for family members, isolated and reclusive youth, and borderline intellectual functioning youth, are estimated to number more than 1.5 million. However, under current law, there is no basis for accurate surveys of their circumstances, and policy blind spots arise due to silos between government ministries. In response, Rep. Cho prepared a separate single act to build an integrated support system rather than amending individual laws.

This reflects the practical opinions of about 120 stakeholders — including vulnerable youth themselves, workers at support organizations, and professors — gathered through a policy discussion forum titled "Measures to Improve the Legal System for Supporting the Independence of Vulnerable Youth," held in June. They stressed the need to overcome the current fragmented support program systems that differ by ministry, as well as disparities in support depending on local government conditions, by establishing an integrated support system through a single law.

The bill requires the government and local governments to prepare basic plans and implementation plans for supporting the independence of vulnerable young people and to conduct surveys to identify those in need. It directs each ministry to implement support projects in areas such as employment, education, counseling, and asset formation. It also stipulates that youth support and educational institutions should guide and connect at-risk youth to support centers when they discover them, preventing blind spots caused by fragmented duties between ministries. The bill also provides grounds for designating and entrusting a center to provide comprehensive support to vulnerable at-risk youth, regardless of the specific projects under each ministry's jurisdiction.

Rep. Cho Eun-hui said, "The number of at-risk youth who have no choice but to give up their dreams and become isolated due to various economic and social problems is increasing, so it is urgent to build a systematic safety net to close the gap. Our society must provide a foothold of hope so that these youth can stand together rather than stand alone. We need an institutional shift that delivers practical, tangible benefits to the 1.5 million vulnerable youth, rather than convenience for implementing agencies in carrying out their programs," and urged active cooperation from each government ministry to pass the bill.