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“Don’t Struggle Alone”: Busan Metropolitan City to Recruit 1,020 Participants for Youth Mind Care Program

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it is recruiting participants for the “2026 Youth Mind Care Program” to support the emotional recovery of young people experiencing psychological difficulties.

This program aims to help young people facing mental challenges due to job preparation, interpersonal relationships, and anxiety about the future to achieve emotional stability through professional psychological counseling and grow into healthy members of society.

Since 2022, the city has continuously promoted psychological counseling support to enhance emotional stability and mental well-being among young people.

This year, the city will provide psychological counseling support to a total of 1,020 individuals. The program will consist of 700 participants in one-on-one (1:1) counseling and 300 participants in group counseling. In particular, the number of counseling slots for vulnerable groups—such as socially withdrawn youth, those caring for family members, and long-term unemployed youth—will be expanded to 20 and operated separately.

First, the one-on-one (1:1) counseling program allows participants to explore their personal situations and concerns in depth through sessions with professional counselors. The counseling consists of a basic five sessions (approximately 50 minutes per session), and depending on the results, up to two additional sessions may be provided. Counseling schedules can be adjusted through coordination between participants and counseling institutions.

In addition, group counseling programs will be offered to help young people communicate with peers facing similar concerns and find psychological stability together. A total of 25 programs will be organized on various topics such as improving interpersonal relationships, stress management, and self-understanding.

Counseling sessions will be conducted at professional counseling institutions, and to enhance accessibility and convenience for participants, the city plans to actively utilize local youth spaces, including the Busan Youth Center, as counseling venues.

Any young person aged 18 to 39 residing in Busan may apply online via the Busan Youth Platform (young.busan.go.kr). Participants for both one-on-one and group counseling programs will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

Recruitment for the first round of one-on-one (1:1) counseling will take place from April 20 to April 24, with 400 participants selected. An additional 300 participants will be selected through a second round of recruitment in July.

For group counseling, the first round of recruitment will be held from May 18 to May 29, selecting 150 participants, followed by a second round in August to select an additional 150 participants.

Participants for counseling for vulnerable groups will be selected separately through recommendations from district offices and related institutions.

Meanwhile, last year’s Youth Mind Care Program attracted strong participation, with a total of 1,145 young people taking part. Analysis showed positive effects, including noticeable improvements in anxiety and depression levels after counseling.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Many young people today are experiencing unseen difficulties,” adding, “It is important for society to support them so they do not have to bear the weight of life alone. Busan Metropolitan City will continue to implement various support policies so that young people can recover their mental health, gain confidence, and actively participate in society.”