Gwangmyeong City Youth Policy Shines…Eight Consecutive Years of Youth-Friendly Charter Award

Gwangmyeong City, which has consistently reflected the voices of young people in its policies, proved once again this year the excellence of its youth policies.

The city announced on the 21st that it won the 'Communication Award,' a policy award for youth-friendly outstanding basic local governments, at the 2026 Youth-Friendly Charter Award. This marks eight consecutive years of awards from 2018 to 2026, excluding 2020 when the award was not held.

The 'Youth-Friendly Charter Award' is a system that selects and honors local governments that have contributed to creating a youth-friendly environment, and is sponsored by the Youth and Future Association. Recipient local governments are selected through comprehensive evaluation based on youth-friendliness indices in the policy, legislation, and communication sectors, as well as the operation of youth participation organizations, youth support projects, and youth-related events.

Since 2019, the city has operated a 50-member Youth Committee directly under the mayor, held youth deliberative budgeting forums, and has expanded the foundation for youth to propose and participate in policies by discovering and proposing approximately 5 billion won worth of youth policies annually.

The city has also consistently provided communication spaces where young people can directly share ideas and engage in activities together. In the youth support project that has continued since 2019, addressing sustainable topics such as environment, climate, and small-capital entrepreneurship in creative ways, 304 teams and 1,565 young people participated in the 'Youth Idea Unfolding Competition Project,' and various communication venues such as 'Youth: Re;born (Ribbon),' planned directly by young people, and the Youth Convention (G.Y.F) have been established.

In particular, youth spaces are being created with input from young people, from their names to their spatial composition, and their functions are being expanded to meet the needs of youth.

'Youth-dong,' a youth complex cultural space that opened in the Cheolsan district in 2021, was visited by 57,096 people in 2025 and was selected as Gyeonggi Province's best youth space for two consecutive years.

Subsequently, in 2024, 'Youth-dong 2 Cheongsun Kotkkan,' a space specialized in economic independence and job preparation, was established in the Gwangmyeong district. Plans are underway to establish 'Youth-dong 3 (tentative name),' a health-specialized space for promoting youth health in the Iljik district.

In the Soha district, a startup support center is being operated to support all stages from startup preparation to growth, and youth spaces by district are being expanded to support the diverse activities and needs of young people.

The city is also strengthening support for stable lives and self-reliance of young people. It has supported 1,516 households through special youth monthly rent assistance and plans to supply 152 units of youth housing. It is also supporting employment and skill development through free interview outfit rentals for 848 cases and youth capacity-building opportunities for 3,349 people, thereby supporting young people's economic self-reliance.

Additionally, through youth support projects for isolated and reclusive young people and 'LIME,' the nation's first public basic relationship platform, the city is supporting young people's psychological stability and social relationships, establishing a foundation for everyone to maintain a stable life.

Gwangmyeong City Mayor Park Seung-won stated, "Eight consecutive years of awards are an achievement created together with young people who have listened to their voices and participated in policies," and added, "We will firmly establish the basics of housing, employment, and welfare in young people's lives, and provide comprehensive support so that young people can proactively design their futures and grow as protagonists of the city."