Presidential aide voices concern over youth policy, reveals blind recruitment plan shelved

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang San-sik voiced concerns about the government's approach to youth policy, suggesting a shift from direct provision to structural improvements that enable young people to grow at the same pace as older generations. He revealed that a plan to legislate the "blind recruitment" system for public institutions, which aims to select talent based on job skills by omitting personal information like birthplace and education, was shelved after discussions revealed a generational divide.

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I have many concerns about the government continuously approaching youth policy from the perspective of what we will do for them. Instead, we must constantly consider how to structurally change problems so they can grow as much as the older generation.

Kang explained that while younger generations might feel resentment if their long-held efforts to secure public sector jobs through education and qualifications are suddenly deemed unnecessary, older generations view the system as a way to select more suitable candidates. This generational gap in perception led to the decision to pause the legislative discussion.

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A proposal was presented during a discussion at the Blue House to legislate the 'public institution blind recruitment' (which was the directive at the time), but the discussion was postponed as opinions were divided between 'we should do it' and 'it doesn't seem right.'

To bridge this divide, the presidential office is launching the "Youth Fellowship" program. This initiative will allow young individuals to participate in the decision-making process, acting as "sensors" and providing feedback on policies. Kang indicated plans to expand this fellowship to all departments if successful.

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From the perspective of the youth generation, it is infuriating when the older generation says, 'education is not necessary,' after they have spent decades trying to get into public institutions and accumulating qualifications for those good jobs. However, the older generation is saying, 'it's to pick better candidates.'

Regarding youth employment, Kang outlined plans to establish a new vocational training program, the "K-New Deal Academy," in partnership with large corporations, aiming to train 10,000 individuals annually. Additionally, programs to help young people re-enter the labor market are being expanded to support approximately 11,000 individuals. The government is also considering increasing the budget for startup support initiatives.

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We will assign the youth fellowship to play a 'sensor' role and receive criticism. They will also debate how to fairly select new employees for public institutions, and the fellowship will serve as their speaker.