The Presidential Office appointed two new youth officers. This organization will directly explore the demand for youth policies within the Presidential Office and will monitor and enhance policies from various ministries. This is intended to increase the policy responsiveness for the youth sector.
On the 18th, the Presidential Office announced the appointment of Lee Joo-hyung (32) and Choi Ji-won (31) as youth officers, stating that the two would start their first day of work at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 19th.
Jeon Seong-hwan, the Chief of Listening Integration at the Presidential Office, explained during a briefing that "the youth officers will be responsible for establishing youth policies, improving systems, monitoring ministry-specific policies, and enhancing communication with the youth."
According to the Presidential Office, Lee Joo-hyung has experience in consistently handling youth policies for seven years at the Seoul Youth Department and the Seoul Youth Center. Choi Ji-won was evaluated for her eight years of work as a social worker, supporting the socially disadvantaged. The Chief noted, "Both have been actively working to enhance youth rights."
The appointment process for the youth officers emphasized 'fair hiring'. The Presidential Office stated that candidates were evaluated based solely on their youth policy proposals and presentation interviews, without submitting documents related to academic qualifications or work experience. The screening process included a public participation group composed of youth activists and experts to enhance fairness and representation. A total of 936 people applied for the public recruitment of youth officers, with one male and one female being selected, resulting in a high competition rate of 605 to 1 for men and 331 to 1 for women.
In contrast to the previous appointment of a youth policy officer at the second level, known as a youth secretary, during the Moon Jae-in administration, the current youth officers have been appointed at the fifth level. There were concerns that, "The position is not high enough to effectively lead youth policies." In response, the Chief stated, "It's not the rank that matters; the entire Presidential Office will collaborate to support the youth officers and back the policies," adding, "I think there's no need to worry."
Kang Hoon, the head of the Presidential Secretariat, emphasized during a senior advisor meeting that "now is the time to broaden the door for youth to participate directly in the policy-making process and to transition into a society where 'the youth are the protagonists'," and requested, "Each office should establish 'policies that young people can feel' with innovative ideas and methods that break away from the existing framework."