President Lee Jae Myung Considers Creating Dedicated Youth Policy Organization

President Lee Jae Myung said on the 19th, during the Youth Day ceremony held at the Yeongbin Hall of the presidential office (formerly Cheong Wa Dae), that he is considering creating a separate organization to oversee youth policy. He explained that whether to establish such a dedicated body is still under deliberation and that no specific method has yet been settled on.

“The generation that studied the longest is waiting the longest for jobs,” President Lee said, explaining that widening polarization and the restructuring of industries driven by artificial intelligence are shrinking opportunities for the younger generation — and that this is not the fault of individuals. He pointed out that some young people find even renting a suit for a job interview burdensome or struggle to get by day to day, and listed difficulties in building assets, getting married, and finding housing.

President Lee framed youth issues not as the problems of a particular class or group, but as “a fundamental question of whether South Korea can truly endure and remain a country that grows and develops.”

“In any case, the government will do its best,” President Lee said, noting that he himself was once young and has family members who are young today. He urged efforts to ensure that young people can hold onto hope and that a fair share and a proper place are created for them.