Reasons for Proposal
There is a need to provide systematic and comprehensive support for youth, the backbone of Korea’s national development, as they are facing employment challenges, housing instability, and other difficulties due to recent changes in the political, economic, social and cultural environments.
Accordingly, this Act declares the rights and responsibilities of Korean youth to ensure the provision of systematic and comprehensive social and economic support for them. It prescribes fundamental matters concerning the duties of the State and local governments, formulates comprehensive plans to facilitate youth development, and ensures that the corresponding youth policies are implemented in an organized manner, thereby aiming to protect and promote youth rights, increase youth participation in the policy decision-making process, promote employment, foster skills, enhance welfare, and otherwise improve the quality of life for youth in all areas of politics, economy, society, and culture, and formulate separate measures for youth who belong to vulnerable groups.
Details
A. Specify the duties of the State and local governments with respect to youth and prescribe fundamental matters concerning the formulation/coordination of youth policies, support, etc. (Article 1)
B. Specify that the fundamental ideals shall be to protect the human rights of youth and enable youth to fulfill their obligations as sound and democratic citizens (Article 2)
C. Define “youth” as persons aged at least 19 years and up to 34 years; provided, however, that other Acts and local government ordinances may stipulate and apply a different definition of youth (Article 3 and Article 6, paragraph 3)
D. Prescribe the duties of the State and local governments for youth development, and declare the rights and responsibilities of youth (Article 4 and Article 5)
E. Designate a Youth Day by Presidential Decree, and designate the month in which Youth Day is designated as Youth Month (Article 7)
F. Require the Prime Minister to formulate and implement a master plan on youth policies every five years, and the heads of the relevant central administrative agencies and Mayors/Do Governors to formulate and implement yearly action plans (Article 8 and Article 9)
G. Allow the Prime Minister to request cooperation from the heads of relevant institutions, corporations, and organizations to formulate efficient youth policies, and require him or her to conduct investigations on youth conditions, youth policy research, etc. (Article 10 through Article 12)
H. Establish a Youth Policy Coordination Committee under the Prime Minister to deliberate on and coordinate matters concerning youth policies; establish a working group and secretariat to ensure efficient processing of the affairs of the Youth Policy Coordination Committee; establish regional youth policy coordination committees under Mayors/Do Governors to deliberate on and coordinate key matters from local governments concerning youth policies (Articles 13 and 14)
I. Require the heads of central administrative agencies and local governments to ensure the participation of and opinion gathering from youth in the youth policy decision-making process; and prescribe that the appointed members of the various committees associated with youth policies, youth shall account for at least the percentage specified by Presidential Decree (Article 15)
J. Require the heads of the relevant central administrative agencies and local governments to designate youth policy officers from among the affiliated public officials to formulate and implement youth policies in an efficient manner (Article 16)
K. Require the State and local governments to promote youth employment, improve the quality of jobs, provide support for youth startups, youth skills development, and housing support for youth, improve youth welfare, provide financial support for youth, provide support for youth cultural activities, and provide support for youth involvement in international cooperation (Articles 17 through 24)
L. Allow the State and local governments to provide administrative and financial assistance for youth organizations and to establish, operate, and provide financial assistance for youth facilities (Articles 25 and 26)
M. Require the State and local governments to make efforts to develop youth-friendly cities; allow the Prime Minister to arrange for the Minister of the Interior and Safety to designate Special Self-governing Cities, Special Self-governing Provinces, and Si/Gun/Autonomous Gu areas as youth-friendly cities and provide support (Article 27)
N. Prescribe matters concerning the delegation of prime ministerial authority under this Act, grounds for tax reductions and exemptions for youth organizations and facilities, rewards for contributors to youth development, and obligations to report to the National Assembly on youth policies (Articles 28 through 31)
