Seoul's Dobong-gu, led by District Mayor Kim Dong-wook, will hold a series of four youth policy forums beginning in August.
Attendees need no materials and are not expected to prepare presentations or formal remarks. The gatherings are designed as open forums where young residents can speak candidly with the district mayor and relevant civil servants.
The district is hosting four sessions of the youth policy forum series — dubbed "Youth Policy Moa Pop-Up" (a youth policy gathering) — starting Wednesday, Aug. 5, with the aim of channeling diverse opinions from local youth into concrete policy.
Through the forums, the district plans to identify prospective youth activists interested in policy and build a foundation for their sustained participation.
The sessions are designed to feel relaxed and informal, breaking away from the rigid format of conventional meetings, and will be kept short.
Each forum will follow an experiential program activity and then run for about 30 minutes of open discussion.
During that time, participants are free to share everyday concerns, express what they hope to see from Dobong-gu, and suggest youth policies they feel are needed.
The first session will be held Aug. 5 at the Dobong-gu Youth Startup Center, and the second on Sept. 2 at the Seoul Youth Center Dobong. Dates for the third and fourth sessions will be confirmed later and communicated individually to registered participants.
The forums are open to residents aged 19 to 45 who live or spend most of their daily life in Dobong-gu. Each session will accept around 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications can be submitted via the QR code on the promotional poster up until the day before each session.
The district intends to use the forums as a springboard to formally launch the "Dobong-gu Youth Network" next year — a youth participation body that will gather opinions from young residents and identify and propose youth-related issues and policy agendas.
"Youth policy must start with young people themselves," District Mayor Kim said. "I hope these forums become the first step toward building policy together — between youth and local government. Please join us without any pressure and share your thoughts and ideas freely."
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