Expanding youth engagement beyond housing to all transport and infrastructure sectors

Departments that develop new policies and engage youth to earn mileage points

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport building. [Herald Business DB]
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport building. [Herald Business DB]

Youth voices are set to be reflected across all areas of land and transport policy in a significant expansion of the ministry's engagement efforts.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Tuesday it will formally introduce a "youth policy mileage system" in July, awarding mileage points to departments that actively incorporate young people's opinions into policy development.

The ministry acknowledged that its youth-focused policies had been concentrated mainly in the housing sector — including monthly rent support for young people and the supply of youth-tailored housing. The new system aims to broaden youth participation across all areas under the ministry's purview, including land and urban development, social overhead capital construction, and transportation and logistics.

Departments will earn mileage based on their track record in identifying youth-targeted policies and new projects, as well as their engagement and outreach efforts through channels such as the 2030 Youth Advisory Panel and online panels. At year's end, accumulated mileage scores will be combined with youth-assessed ratings of policy satisfaction and real-world impact to select and recognize top-performing departments.

The ministry said it expects the system to spur the development of a wider range of policies that genuinely reflect the practical needs of young people.

"This youth policy mileage system is a meaningful attempt to naturally embed a youth perspective into all of the ministry's policies," said Kim Heon-jeong, head of the ministry's Planning and Coordination Office. "Going forward, we will bring young people's candid voices into the policy planning stage from the outset, and work to deliver effective policies that people can clearly feel and relate to in their daily lives."

Meanwhile, the ministry recruited 130 youth interns from May 29 to June 9, with the selection process excluding credentials such as academic majors, certifications and language test scores.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com