The Democratic Party of Korea's "1030 Youth Policy Unit," a body reporting directly to the party leader, formally launched its activities Tuesday.
The unit held its inaugural meeting at the National Assembly, announcing that its goal is "to complete the party's and government's youth policies through legislation and budgeting in the National Assembly."
Established after Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok took office, the unit is co-chaired by lawmakers Kim Han-gyu and Jeon Eun-su. Kim Han-gyu said the unit "is an organization to realize 'a Democratic Party for youth,' one of the four innovation plans the leader presented at the party convention," adding that it would "work to deliver tangible results through policy and budgeting at the regular National Assembly session."
Kim explained the rationale behind the unit's creation, noting that existing youth bodies within the party — the College Students and Youth Committee and the Youth Future Roundtable — have focused on agenda-setting, organizational expansion and networking rather than policy implementation. "There was a recognition that the party lacked an organization to actively push forward youth policies on which consensus had already been reached," he said.
Co-chair Jeon noted that Lee Gwang-jae, a lawmaker in his 60s who chairs the National Assembly's budget and settlement committee, is also participating in the unit. "Regardless of age, we will focus on how to actually implement youth policy across each standing committee," she said.
In addition to Lee, the unit's members include lawmakers Kim Seong-hoe of the defense committee, Kim Yong-man of the political affairs committee, Park Ji-won of the health and welfare committee, Baek Seung-a of the education committee, Im Mun-yeong of the industry, trade, small and medium enterprises and venture committee, and Hwang Jeong-a of the science, technology, information, broadcasting and communications committee.
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