SEOUL, September 19 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Saturday that his administration is considering creating a dedicated body for youth policy, as his approval rating among South Koreans aged 18 to 29 has fallen to 18.6 percent.
“We are considering whether we should create an organization dedicated to youth issues,” Lee said at a Youth Day ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae's State Guest House in Seoul.
Lee said difficulties facing younger generations went beyond the interests of a particular demographic and posed a broader challenge to South Korea's ability to sustain growth and development.
“The Prime Minister's Office is thinking about this, and so is Cheong Wa Dae,” Lee said, adding that the government was seeking policies that would respond more directly to conditions young people face.
Lee also acknowledged a generational gap between senior policymakers and younger South Koreans. Referring to officials with significant policymaking authority, he said they were often “far removed from the problem” because they belonged to older generations.
“We thought about how to bridge this gap and decided to give younger generations opportunities,” Lee said. He added, however, that finding candidates for senior positions could be difficult when experience and career credentials were taken into account.
“I was once young, too, and I have family members who are young,” Lee said. “Let us work together so that young people can have hope.”
The remarks come amid a sharp decline in Lee's support among younger voters. A Realmeter survey conducted Sept. 7 to 11 among 2,515 adults found his approval rating among respondents aged 18 to 29 at 18.6 percent, down 10.2 percentage points from the previous week. Support stood at 19.6 percent among men in their 20s and 17.6 percent among women in their 20s.
Lee's overall approval rating stood at 33.8 percent, down 3.6 percentage points and marking a ninth consecutive weekly decline.
The administration had already begun reviewing changes to youth policy before Saturday's remarks. At an Aug. 14 meeting with youth policy experts, Lee said young people today had substantially fewer opportunities than earlier generations and called for government programs to be designed from the perspective of those receiving them.
AJP Takeaways
- Lee is considering a dedicated government body to coordinate youth policy.
- His approval among 18-to-29-year-olds fell to 18.6 percent in a recent poll.
- Lee acknowledged a generational gap between senior policymakers and younger Koreans.
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