President Lee Focuses on 2030s… ‘Promoting Youth Policies with Speed’

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is making a concerted effort to win back the support of young voters, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, whose approval ratings have shown a noticeable decline. In a recent address at a Cabinet and economic policy meeting, President Lee acknowledged the "deep shadow" of asset polarization cast by the booming stock market, emphasizing that young people, who often lack stable jobs and income, are the most marginalized.

“

The semiconductor boom and the rapid growth of the stock market have a deep shadow of asset polarization behind them. Especially the young generation, who lack opportunities to build assets through stable jobs and income, are the most alienated.

President Lee announced that policies aimed at expanding opportunities for youth in areas such as employment, asset formation, entrepreneurship, and housing will be finalized and implemented with speed. He recognized that there are no easy solutions to the complex challenges facing young people but stressed the importance of "meticulous and consistent efforts" to provide more opportunities. He specifically promoted the "Youth Future Savings" program, a key campaign pledge, which allows individuals aged 19-34 to deposit up to 500,000 won monthly for three years, offering significant interest and tax benefits.

“

There is no magic bullet to solve the problems facing the current generation of young people all at once. If there were, they would have been done already.

The president also addressed a serious incident where a female firefighter in her 20s died by suicide after experiencing workplace bullying. Lee strongly condemned this as "the worst form of bullying" and urged all government departments to "pay special attention" and conduct internal organizational reviews. He expressed outrage over practices like seating female employees next to superiors, forcing them to pour drinks, or compelling them to participate in after-hours gatherings, questioning why anyone would be forced to drink alcohol against their will.

“

The worst form of bullying.

President Lee's focus on youth issues is not new. He previously praised young people for raising concerns about the ballot shortage during recent elections and has taken steps to integrate youth perspectives into his administration, including hiring dedicated youth advisors and considering the creation of youth-focused research bodies within the presidential office. The administration is actively seeking ways to gather youth feedback and is developing plans to boost public sector employment for young people, acknowledging the continuous decline in the youth employment rate over the past 25 months.

“

Why do you make them drink shots when they say they don't like alcohol? Drink it yourself.