President Lee Weighs Establishing Dedicated Organization for Youth Policy

▲ President Lee Jae-myung delivers a commemorative address at the Youth Day ceremony held at the Blue House on September 19.

President Lee Jae-myung stated, "I am contemplating whether we should establish a separate, dedicated organization to oversee and take full charge of youth policy."

President Lee made the remarks today (September 19) at the 2026 Youth Day ceremony titled "To the Youth," held at the Blue House guesthouse (Yeongbingwan), saying, "Youth issues are not simply problems of a specific demographic or group, but a fundamental question of whether the Republic of Korea can remain a country that continuously grows and develops."

Last April, during a policy briefing by 102 public institutions and government-affiliated agencies, President Lee pointed out, "It is concerning that among the numerous research organizations, there are no youth. Other countries even create a 'Ministry of Youth' and appoint young ministers, yet we do not even have a dedicated department within the government."

President Lee diagnosed, "While the organization itself matters, the people capable of actually handling the policies are the issue," adding, "Unfortunately, those of you with the greatest authority to decide major policies in South Korea have become the furthest detached from those issues, the most distant, and historically speaking, people who have lived through the oldest and most outdated era."

He added, "Wondering how to bridge this gap, I am thinking, 'Let us give opportunities to the younger generation.'"

While he is weighing the direction of granting major policy decision-making authority to younger people, President Lee also stated that this approach is generating "another problem."

He explained, "Who should take that seat, that position? In the end, when you start scrutinizing careers and weighing experience, it becomes difficult to find people," adding, "I want to share that we are facing difficult dilemmas."

President Lee also pointed out, "As far as I know, today's Korean youth are the most outstanding generation and the generation living the hardest," but added, "Yet, truly unfairly, the outcomes are reversed."

He also noted, "The generation that studied the longest waits the longest for employment; the generation that prepared the best owns the least; and despite being the generation that competed the most fiercely, their future is the most uncertain."

President Lee explained, "People say the world has become a place where even living an ordinary life is tight unless one is extraordinary. This is by no means an individual's fault," adding, "Worsening polarization and industrial restructuring driven by artificial intelligence are reducing opportunities for the new generation."

Listing difficulties young people face regarding asset building, marriage, and housing, President Lee said, "We are making many preparations regarding these areas."

About 150 young people, gathered through the official website and other channels, attended the Youth Day ceremony, which was the first held since his inauguration.

In Part 1, President Lee delivered his message, and awards were presented to individuals recognized for their contributions to youth policy.

Part 2, titled "From the Youth," was an open-mic event where participants delivered two individual presentations and four group presentations on key youth policy areas, including jobs, housing, and the kind of society young people envision.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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