South Gyeongsang Province opens youth policy hub in Changwon

South Gyeongsang Province has opened a regional youth policy hub designed to oversee youth programs across the province and strengthen coordination among central, provincial and municipal governments.

The province held an opening ceremony Wednesday for the Gyeongnam Youth Dream Academy Center, located in a building of the South Gyeongsang Future Generations Foundation on the grounds of the Gyeongnam Representative Library in Uichang-gu, Changwon. The province has allocated 255 million won ($190,000) to cover the center's operations and project activities this year.

The center will be operated under a consignment agreement with the South Gyeongsang Future Generations Foundation. Five staff members with experience in youth and adolescent affairs — including a center director, team leaders and team members — will be on-site full time to provide personalized counseling. Anyone between the ages of 19 and 39 is welcome to use the center, including young residents of the province, students enrolled at local universities and employees at regional companies.

The center will focus on coordinating youth policy to avoid duplicating the functions of existing city and county centers, while also offering support consulting. Through its flagship program, the Gyeongnam Youth Dream Academy, the center will identify and promote success stories among local young people. A dream camp for adolescents is scheduled for early November, and a traveling talk concert series is set to expand in earnest starting next year.

The center will also offer comprehensive tailored counseling across areas including employment, housing, education and welfare, and will strengthen its role in linking youth policy initiatives. The province and its cities and counties plan to jointly pursue competitive grant programs offered by central government ministries, with the aim of identifying new youth projects suited to local needs and securing national funding.

"We will reinforce tangible support so that the center can establish itself as a youth policy hub connecting the province, cities and counties, and the central government — helping young people find their dreams and settle stably in South Gyeongsang Province," said Kim Seong-gyu, director of the provincial Education and Youth Bureau. "Going forward, this center will carry on the dreams of young people and open the future of South Gyeongsang Province."