Yangcheon-gu (District Mayor Lee Ki-jae) announced that it will significantly expand the ‘Youth National Qualification Examination Fee Support Project’ from 2025 to reduce the economic burden on local unemployed youth and help develop employment capabilities.
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▲[Korean Today] Mayor Lee Ki-jae talking with young people at the Seoul Youth Center Yangcheon © Reporter Byun A-rong |
Following last year’s expansion of the support target to all national qualifications (approximately 900 types), this year the plan is to further improve the support amount and conditions to actively support the self-development of young people.
First, in order to reduce the burden of test fees on young people and encourage more challenges, the support amount has been doubled from the existing 100,000 won to a maximum of 200,000 won. In addition, in order to improve convenience, the ‘application year restriction’ that allowed support only in the first application year has been abolished. Accordingly, young people who received support in 2023 and 2024 can apply for additional amounts, allowing them to apply for support funds over several years within the support amount limit.
The support target is young people aged 19 to 39 (as of the date of application) who have been registered as residents of Yangcheon-gu continuously since before January 1, 2025 and have lived there until the date of application. Any young people who are not registered as business owners and are unemployed can apply.
In particular, starting this year, for soldiers who have completed their mandatory service, the age limit will be extended by up to three years for the period of their service, allowing them to receive support up to the age of 42. This is intended to provide fair opportunities to soldiers who had limited opportunities to take qualification exams due to their military service, and is expected to be a real benefit to young people who have had difficulty preparing for employment due to their military service.
The support is limited to ▲language tests (TOEIC, OPIC, TEPS, G-TELP, etc.) ▲basic and advanced Korean history proficiency tests ▲national (official) qualifications, etc., and is up to 200,000 won per person for the tests taken in the current year. Applications can be submitted online at the Yangcheon-gu Office website until December 10, and may close early if the budget runs out.
Meanwhile, the ‘Youth National Qualification Examination Fee Support Project’ newly established in 2023 has received a great response, providing approximately 190 million won in support to 2,830 young people over the past two years. In addition, the district is supporting youth employment activities in various ways, such as ▲operating youth employment education programs ▲operating youth job cafes ▲Yangcheon Youth Academy ▲holding youth job fairs.
Yangcheon-gu Mayor Lee Ki-jae said, “We have significantly expanded the project so that local youth can pursue their dreams without worrying about exam fees,” and added, “We will continue to develop the potential of youth through various job support policies and create a Yangcheon-gu where youth can have pride.”
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