ILO and Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea sign agreement to promote inclusive and sustainable youth employment

GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Gyeonggi Province have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support technical cooperation aimed at promoting youth employment and developing effective labour policies. 

The agreement was signed during the 112th International Labour Conference by the ILO Director of the Employment Policy, Job Creation and Livelihoods Department, Sangheon Lee, and the Director General of the Labor Bureau, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, Chul-Wan Kum.

The MoU strengthens the collaboration between the entities to promote decent jobs for all individuals throughout their lives, as well as enhance people’s capacity to access opportunities for decent work.

It also underlines the importance of addressing youth unemployment and the development of labour policies as key challenges to sustainable development, social cohesion, and economic prosperity. The implementation of the MoU will be supported by technical cooperation and sharing of information and knowledge. 

“Gyeonggi Province is deeply interested in youth job issues, and we provide various opportunities for young people to participate in safe and heathy learning so that they can realize their dreams. In this regard, we believe this is an ideal opportunity to cooperate with the ILO, which offers ample experience and best practices in youth and labour policy,” Chul-Wan Kum said. 

Speaking on the MoU, Sangheon Lee said “This MoU is signification not only because of the size of the province, which has some 13 million people, but also because the province has been progressive on labour issues by leading by example on how local government can improve the lives of workers and businesses”. He further added, “despite this, they also face challenges that we at the ILO are struggling with, for example, youth employment. In this regard, we have a common challenge, and we have to work together to address this.”

The MoU paves the way for future cooperation between the entities that includes, among others, a conference on youth labour policies and quality jobs going to be held in Gyeonggi Province in 2025, peer-to-peer learning opportunities to share best practices on youth employment with other countries, and cooperation and support for a survey to understand challenges and solutions for youth employment.

The Gyeonggi Province is located in the central western part of the Korean Peninsula. Over 13 million people live in the urban areas of Gyeonggi Province alone as of 2023, making it the most populous local autonomy in Korea.