Seoul's Nowon-gu district is launching the "2026 Youth Freelancer Guide," a practical training program designed to help young freelancers and aspiring entrepreneurs and creators break into the market and sharpen their competitiveness, the district said.
As the freelance market expands rapidly, hands-on skills in areas such as contracts and taxation — along with the ability to use AI tools — are becoming increasingly important. Yet young people working independently often struggle to access relevant training, share information or find opportunities to collaborate. The district said it is addressing this gap by pairing practical instruction with mentoring from working professionals to help young people build a sustainable foundation for their careers.
The program is being carried out through the district's "Youth Autonomous Budget System," an initiative that incorporates policy ideas proposed directly by young residents into the district budget. The process — spanning youth policy proposals, meetings with the district mayor, departmental review and budget allocation — involves young people at every stage, making it a Nowon-style participatory budgeting project that reflects actual demand from the youth community.
The six-session program runs every Thursday from Aug. 13 through Sept. 17 at the Planning Situation Room on the fifth floor of the Nowon District Office. The curriculum is structured to build practical freelance skills step by step, covering contracts and taxation, AI applications, networking and portfolio development.
The contracts and taxation sessions teach participants how to draft standard contracts, prevent contract disputes, file comprehensive income tax returns and calculate recommended standard rates — giving freelancers the foundational knowledge they need to operate professionally.
The AI and marketing strategy sessions focus on using generative AI and digital tools for service planning, pricing and social media customer acquisition strategies to strengthen participants' business competitiveness.
The networking session supports collaboration and information exchange through peer matching among participants and mentoring from working professionals in the field.
The final sessions cover client negotiation techniques and proposal writing, with participants completing a portfolio they can use in the field after receiving expert feedback.
The program is open to about 20 young freelancers, aspiring freelancers and solo creators aged 19 to 39 who live or work in Nowon-gu. Participation is free, and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through Monday via a QR code on promotional materials.
Nowon-gu is also running other programs through the Youth Autonomous Budget System to strengthen young residents' employment and entrepreneurship skills. One flagship initiative is the "Nowon Youth Epilogue PR Team," which provides unemployed young people with training in planning and public relations as well as hands-on content production experience. Participants cover district administration and youth policy firsthand, produce promotional content, and build practical experience and portfolios in the marketing field.
"As freelance and solo creative work takes hold as a new form of employment, it is important to help young people develop the practical skills and competitiveness they need to grow on stable footing," said Seo Jun-o, the Nowon-gu district mayor. "We will continue to expand effective support so that young people can learn, take on challenges and grow in Nowon — building Nowon into a city where work, home and leisure come together."
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