Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Recognized as an “Excellent Institution” for the Third Consecutive Year in National Youth Policy Evaluation

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has been selected as an “Excellent Institution” in the Comprehensive Youth Policy Evaluation conducted by the Office for Government Policy Coordination for the third consecutive year.

The Comprehensive Youth Policy Evaluation is an annual assessment conducted by the Office for Government Policy Coordination to evaluate the implementation of youth policies by 46 central government agencies and 17 metropolitan and provincial governments across the country. The evaluation identifies institutions that have achieved outstanding results and serves as a mechanism for policy feedback and improvement to enhance the quality of life for young people.

This year’s evaluation placed particular emphasis on how well the public could feel the effectiveness of the policies. Busan Metropolitan City was one of five selected excellent institutions, alongside Seoul, Gwangju, South Chungcheong Province, and Jeju Province.

In 2023, Busan’s “Youth Policy Network,” which guarantees youth participation in policymaking, was recognized as a best practice in public-private governance. In 2024, the participatory “Busan Youth Week,” co-hosted by the government, and the “Waterloo-Style Co-op Program,” a pioneering industry-academia cooperation model, were introduced as best practices.

The evaluation reviewed youth policies in seven areas including employment, culture, participation, and rights, based on indicators such as youth participation and leadership, improvements in the quality of life, and policy promotion. Civilian evaluators conducted the assessments.

Busan Metropolitan City has implemented specialized policies in each category:

• ●In employment: “Busan Youth Job Growth Project”

• ●In housing: “Rental Deposit Loan Interest Support Program”

• ●In education: “Busan Digital Innovation Academy”

• ●In finance: “Busan Youth Double Happiness Savings Account”

• ●In welfare: “Youth Mental Health Connection Project”

• ●In culture: “Busan Youth Culture Pass for 10,000 Won”

• ●In participation and rights: “Youth Activity Mileage Program”

In particular, policies such as the “Busan Youth Culture Pass for 10,000 Won,” which gained strong support from youth and were widely felt in their daily lives, received high marks externally.

The “Busan Youth Culture Pass for 10,000 Won” allows youth to attend cultural performances worth 110,000 won for only 10,000 won. As a unique program in Korea with no income restrictions, it attracted enormous interest, with applications closing in just seven minutes last year and eight minutes this year, despite an increase in the number of recipients.

The “Youth Job Growth Project” is a comprehensive, customized support system for each stage of the job search process. It addresses job mismatches through one-stop support ranging from youth outreach to job matching and follow-up management. The project was recognized as a top initiative in the “2024 Youth Growth Project” hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and is now a flagship youth employment policy in Busan.

The “Youth Activity Mileage Program” awards points to youth who participate in city government affairs, which can be converted into local currency (Dongbaekjeon) credits. Launched last year as the first such program by a metropolitan government, it received high marks for encouraging voluntary youth engagement and linking policy participation with economic incentives.

In addition, the “Rental Deposit Loan Interest Support Program,” also implemented in other regions, was tailored to local conditions in Busan by significantly relaxing income requirements and offering the lowest interest rates in the country.

Following these evaluation results, Busan Metropolitan City plans to further enhance youth policies this year with a focus on employment and tangible impact.

Programs that have already been recognized as best practices—such as the “Busan Youth Culture Pass for 10,000 Won” and the “Youth Company Discovery and Matching Program (Cheongkkeul Enterprises)”—will be expanded. New initiatives will also be introduced, including the “Employment Success Full Package Program,” which supports youth from job acquisition to job retention.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “This recognition is the result of putting the voices of our youth—who are the direct beneficiaries of these policies—first. Going forward, we will continue to develop practical, impactful policies that reflect the perspectives of young people and build Busan into a city where youth can stay and achieve their dreams.”