Human Resources Development Section

Youth voices in the Republic of Korea

Korean participants at the 11th International Youth Forum, Seoul.

As the beacon of their countries' future, youth should be a major target group of human resources development policies and programmes. The HRD Section of ESCAP serves as the United Nations focal point for youth affairs in the Asia-Pacific region. ESCAP's mandate as the focal point for youth includes awareness raising on key issues for young people in Asia and the Pacific and promotion of the participation of young people in the decision-making process in society. At a youth conference held in Seoul earlier this year, we took the opportunity to ask the participants from the Republic of Korea about the issues and the concerns facing young people in their country today:

What do you think are some of the advantages of being young and living in the Republic of Korea today?

"Growing up in a society with strong moral values and access to free flow of information." (Koo Kyo-jiu)

"We can easily access the cyber world any time, any place." (Jo Je Ong-hee)

"Living in a relatively affluent society with good Internet connections; most have a computer." (Jae-Hun Lee)

"I don't have to fear about guns. Korea is quite a safe country." (Lee Hyun-joo)

What do you think are some of the biggest problems or challenges for young people in the Republic of Korea today?

"Our society is changing so rapidly and the future is uncertain. Also, informal relationships among people are more important than formal ones. So rules and principles are not very important in Korea." (Jo Je Ong-hee)

"The Korean society is still too rigid. There is not much room to move around in terms of career paths and future choices. Culturally, youth in Korea are not treated as knowledgeable and are denied a voice in important issues." (Jae-Hun Lee)

"Our culture and traditions are increasingly neglected. We must not deny our history." (Lim Jee-hoon)

"Korean youth have to be focused on school and home. So many of us lack 'worldliness' and have limited freedom to engage in other activities." (Lee Yoon-hee)

"The problem of unemployment is becoming more and more of a problem today among youth in Korea as the job market has become so competitive. There are so many criteria and requirements to obtain a job." (Kim Jae-lim)

"The education system is too formal. High school students (15 to 18 years) have to study so much. About a third of high-school students study almost 15 hours a day." (Shin Eun-hee)

"We are forbidden to do so many things. There are not many places where teenagers can hang out for fun." (Ryu Jin-Suhes)

What would you first change if you were a Minister working with youth issues?

"I would have more flexible and uncondemning laws for youth. Too many times, teens are viewed as an instability to society." (Jae-Hun Lee)

"I would amend laws with age-specifications. We can join the army at age 18, but we are not allowed to vote until we are 20." (Pyo Jin-yong)

"I would change the focus of the -current education system. I think it is very outdated. I would try to improve the quality of the education system and adapt it to meet the demands of the new technology-oriented society." (Kim Jae-lim)

"I would put more emphasis on creativity in the education system rather than have the students memorize facts and theories." (Lee Hyun-joo)

"I would put more money into education, and make people understand that university cannot just be about studying." (Do-Jae-eun)

Do you think the main concerns for Korean youth are different from that of young people in other countries? If you do, what are in your opinion the main differences?

"Until Korean youth enter university, their interests and activities are focused solely on university admission. They don't have many chances to engage in a wide range of other activities, so the ways of thinking among Korean youth may be narrower than that of young people in other countries." (Koo Kyo-jiu)

"Everything seems pretty much the same after talking to youth from various other countries."

"I think Korean students must study harder than those in other countries because of the rigid school system. Because of this aspect, Korean youth may be less creative than youth in other countries." (Kim Jae-lim)