Ministry of Health and Welfare reports pan-government public-private partnership plan 'Modu-ui Yeongyeol' to Cabinet on Tuesday

Youth STEP to support socially isolated young people through welfare and employment linkages

A pan-government public-private partnership project aimed at tackling social problems by linking corporate social contributions with government policy has taken its first steps. The initiative's first project will support the welfare and employment of socially isolated and withdrawn youth.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday it reported to the Cabinet a plan to advance "Modu-ui Yeongyeol" (Everyone Connected), a framework through which the government and welfare organizations identify social problems and match them with corporate resources tailored to real-world needs.

The initiative operates through four stages — identifying collaboration tasks, building a connection infrastructure, making tailored matches and spreading results — to find social problems that require private-sector involvement and link them with policy support.

The process begins by selecting priority areas where private resources and expertise are needed, then consolidating those tasks and their support requirements on "Baroeet," an online corporate social responsibility platform.

When companies register their available resources — including technology, personnel, expertise and funding — an AI recommendation service matches them with suitable collaboration tasks. Continued participation is encouraged through linkages with recognition programs such as the Local Community Contribution Recognition System and the Siseulaeng Star, a rating system combining corporate social responsibility with a Michelin-style evaluation.

A diagram illustrating the pan-government public-private partnership project Everyone Connected [Ministry of Health and Welfare]
A diagram illustrating the pan-government public-private partnership project Everyone Connected [Ministry of Health and Welfare]

The first project under Everyone Connected is Youth STEP — an acronym for Screening, Training, Experience and Partnership — designed to guide vulnerable young people through the stages of entering society.

Youth STEP provides emotional support and paid work experience to vulnerable youth who face difficulties entering society, including those aging out of the care system and those living in social isolation or seclusion, combining welfare and employment assistance in a single program.

To that end, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Woori Financial Group and the Community Chest of Korea signed an MOU on Tuesday, under which Woori Financial Group will contribute 3 billion won ($2.17 million) over three years. The government will identify and refer eligible youth, while organizations in the field will draw on corporate expertise and resources to support their transition into society.

"Connecting the government's policy capabilities with the resources and expertise of the private sector is paramount to solving complex social problems," Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong said. "Through Everyone Connected, we will build a new public-private partnership model in which the government, businesses and civil society each contribute their own strengths."


thlee@heraldcorp.com