Kim Yong-beom, presidential policy chief, said the "Youth New Deal" policy, backed by 1.9 trillion won ($1.4 billion) from the supplementary budget, will provide direct opportunities to 110,000 young people struggling with unemployment.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Kim wrote, "We allocated approximately 900 billion won for startup support and about 1 trillion won for vocational training and work experience programs." He added, "Including both the process of preparing for employment and paths for creating opportunities on their own, approximately 110,000 young people will be able to gain direct opportunities."
Kim pointed to the displacement effect caused by advances in artificial intelligence as a key reason why the number of so-called "resting" youth — those who have given up job-seeking — has not declined. He analyzed that AI has reduced entry-level hiring, preventing young people from building careers, while companies prefer experienced talent, creating a mismatch in the labor market.
"A situation where people are prepared but cannot get opportunities, a structure where experience is demanded but no chance to start is given — this pattern keeps repeating," Kim said. "The longer young people's difficulties persist, it goes beyond individual frustration and becomes a burden on society as a whole." He described this as the background behind the policy design.
Kim continued, "This package is structured around three directions: experience, advancement, and recovery." He explained, "Rather than dividing young people by specific criteria, we focused on recognizing each person's situation and pace and providing choices that fit them."
Kim personally outlined policies including the redesign of vocational training and education programs, project-based work opportunities, and the expansion of the National Employment Support System. He added, "We hope that on this broadened path covering not only employment but also entrepreneurship, the act of taking on challenges itself becomes experience for young people, and that process becomes a stepping stone for advancement."