Lee to discuss reforming youth policy with experts

President Lee Jae Myung convened a meeting with youth policy experts and presidential officials on Friday to discuss the need for reforming policies aimed at young people. The president emphasized the importance of identifying and addressing the actual needs of the younger generation amid an era of low economic growth and fewer opportunities.

South Korea is currently experiencing a phase of low economic growth, which requires more maintenance and management than expansion, resulting in fewer job opportunities. The president noted that the recent growth recovery appears to be growth without employment that does not require substantial labor and that the emergence of artificial intelligence may lead to fewer jobs than before, even in an economy that is growing.

Youth policies seem to remain intangible for young people who are facing declining opportunities, and the president stressed the need for a review to determine what policies would be effective and what the younger generations want. The president acknowledged that government policies are often made from the perspective of policymakers but stressed the necessity of a change in thinking to make them more responsive to the needs of the policy beneficiaries.

The meeting follows recent declines in the president's approval ratings, which can be attributed in part to growing complaints among young voters over high housing prices and declining stock prices, among other issues.