I am Song Han-eol, the project manager at Cheongju Youth Center Cheongnyeon Tteurak 5959, where I support the growth and empowerment of young people. As someone who was born and raised in Cheongju, I have been part of the center since its launch in March 2019, driven by a desire to encourage the independent lives and challenges of my peers living in this era. At the center, we play an intermediary role—connecting young people with the resources and opportunities they need so that vague concerns or small ideas can turn into tangible realities and find the right path forward. Since the birth of my son last year, I have developed a more personal hope that Cheongju will become a city full of opportunities for young people, a place where they do not fear failure. With that wish in mind, I approach each day with a deeper sense of responsibility and purpose.

  The core value we place the greatest emphasis on is “supporting growth through experience.” I firmly believe that if we divide the spectrum of experience from zero to ten, the act of taking the very first step, moving from zero to one, is the most crucial during one’s youth. Our society often demands a perfect “ten” from young people, but in truth, that level of achievement can only be reached through countless experiences of turning zero into one. The small sense of accomplishment that comes from realizing, “I can actually do something,” the joy of meeting peers who share similar interests, and the courage to take a first step into an unfamiliar field. These are the experiences we want to create for young people. That is why I hope Cheongnyeon Tteurak 5959 becomes a safe and kind base camp of experience for them—a place where they can freely try new things without the burden of results or the fear of failure. Through those experiences, we aim to help them discover hidden potential within themselves and build the solid confidence they need to move forward. 

  We see our role in improving the tangibility of youth policies as similar to that of an interpreter—translating and connecting rigid administrative language into the everyday language and concrete experiences of young people. To achieve this, we continuously gather and analyze the real voices of youth through various channels, from satisfaction surveys and in-depth interviews to forums, community activities, and even casual conversations with participants. The vivid data we collect serves as a key foundation for designing more tailored and detailed policies that address the specific challenges faced by young people at different stages of life whether they are university students, job seekers, young professionals, or newlyweds. In reality, many young people are unaware that they are eligible for various policy supports. We believe that narrowing this awareness gap is the most essential first step toward enhancing policy impact. That is why we strive to make policy information more accessible and relatable by card news and sharing them through our social media platforms, newsletters, and other communication channels.

  The most rewarding moments come when we witness a self-sustaining cycle of positive change when young people who have grown through our support begin giving back to the local community. One memorable example is a young entrepreneur who first came to the center with nothing but a vague idea and a strong sense of passion. We provided comprehensive support, from offering workspace and connecting him with professional mentors to giving him the opportunity to showcase his prototype through a pop-up store. A few years later, he is now the head of a local company, employing new young workers and, in turn, serving as a mentor for aspiring entrepreneurs at our center and sharing his own experiences and insights. The same goes for the field of cultural planning. Some young people who once worked with us to organize small neighborhood festivals—awkwardly but earnestly—have since gained valuable experience and now independently present creative projects across Cheongju, each reflecting their unique vision and style. Their efforts are enriching the city’s cultural ecosystem in meaningful ways. Through these stories, Cheongnyeon Tteurak 5959 has become more than just a place that supports individual success. It has grown into a vibrant community where young people lift one another up, grow together as key members of the region, and serve as a driving force that breathes new life into the local community.

  Earning the time and attention of young people today is a real challenge. They make decisions through an unconscious cost-benefit analysis, and will only act when the effort (cost) of participating in our programs feels smaller than the enjoyment or benefit (gain) they expect to receive. That is why we focus on drastically lowering the barrier to participation. A representative example is our one-day hobby classes. Though they may seem like simple leisure programs, they embody our core philosophy of supporting the first small step from “zero to one” while also helping emerging young creators in the region. For instance, when we host a leathercraft workshop, we do not work with large, established academies, but with young studio owners who have just started their own business. This allows participants to gain new experiences at a low cost, while the young business owners get valuable opportunities to promote their studios and build teaching experience. Both participants and providers are young, forming a mutually beneficial structure. We also put great efforts into the small details that move young people’s hearts. When hosting community parties, we prepare trendy menus popular among youth at the time. Even for a single Instagram post, we revise the font and design dozens of times to match the current aesthetic. Communicating in the language of youth and making them feel, “This place really gets us,” or “I want to visit someday,”—this kind of subtle care, even in unseen details, is our most important strategy for encouraging participation.

  The most successful part is that a broad social consensus has been formed on the importance of youth policy, leading to consistent investment based on that understanding. In the past, youth issues were often dismissed as a matter of personal effort, but now they are recognized as an important challenge that society as a whole must address for the future of the region. Thanks to this positive shift and continued support, intermediary organizations like Cheongnyeon Tteurak 5959 have been able to operate stably and stay close to young people. On the other hand, strengthening the connectivity and integration among policies is a task we still need to work on. Currently, good policies related to youth life—such as housing, employment, welfare, and culture—tend to be carried out separately by different departments. As a result, young people facing complex problems often have to visit multiple offices to find solutions. Going forward, it would be ideal to organically link and integrate these policies so that youth can receive customized support in one place through a solid one-stop integrated support system.

  Moving forward, Cheongnyeon Tteurak 5959 aims to go beyond being just a space that provides programs and to strengthen its role as a hub and platform that closely connects the many resources, opportunities, and people within the local community to young people. There are many valuable assets in the region—excellent companies, institutions, small business owners, and senior mentors—but it is often difficult for young people to access this information. We aim to close that gap and serve as a reliable bridge that helps youth connect to the resources they need, whenever they need them. Ultimately, we want every young person in Cheongju to live their youth, the most radiant time of their life, filled with excitement rather than anxiety, without regrets about missed experiences. Our unchanging goal is to provide diverse opportunities for first experiences and to become a strong social support system that tells young people it is okay to fall, as long as they keep trying.