South Chungcheong Province Ranks First Nationwide in Youth Policy, Receives Presidential Commendation

[Financial News Hongseong = Kim Won-jun] South Chungcheong Province ranked first in an evaluation of youth policies across 16 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide, earning a Presidential Institutional Commendation.
 Chungnam said on the 20th that it had been selected as the top institution in the comprehensive youth policy evaluation and received a Presidential Institutional Commendation at the official ceremony marking the 2026 Youth Day, held at Cheong Wa Dae on the 19th. The evaluation comprehensively quantified the expansion of youth participation in policymaking, the extent to which local government reflected opinions from the field, and the results of region-specific policy initiatives.
 Chungnam has actively adopted young people’s ideas and opinions in provincial administration by strengthening the role of the Youth Policy Coordination Committee. As a result, the rate at which youth opinions were reflected in policies rose sharply from 74% in 2024 to 98% last year.
 The province also proactively expanded financial education, which had previously focused on young people entering the workforce, to college students and high school seniors to prevent financial harm among young people from issues such as jeonse fraud and overseas employment scams. It also received high marks for implementing a range of locally tailored initiatives to improve the quality of life for young residents, including expanding the Youth Participation Committee, supporting business and job creation, providing interest support for housing rental deposits, and holding a nationwide youth festival. The award is considered particularly significant as a model for local governments seeking to attract young people and improve conditions for them to settle in the region.
 Lee Jong-ik, head of Chungnam’s Youth and Women Bureau, said, "We have focused on reflecting young people’s voices in order to create Chungnam, the AI capital, where young people gather." He added, "We will continue operating initiatives such as recruiting youth policy advisers without requiring conventional credentials and holding large-scale youth policy forums, while further expanding policies that young people can experience directly."
[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter