Home > National > Social Affairs

Young people aging out of state care face transition challenges

Published: 12 May. 2025, 18:22

Job seekers make resumes at the “2025 Hope, Happiness and Future Job Fair” at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on April 30. [JOONGANG ILBO]

One in three young adults who leave state care in Korea have considered suicide, highlighting the challenges they face in transitioning to independent life.

Jang Hee-sun, associate research fellow at the National Center for the Rights of the Child, released a study on Monday titled “Service Satisfaction and Policy Impact for Care Leavers.”

The report focuses on young people who grew up in Korea’s public care system — foster homes, group homes or child welfare facilities — after losing their parents or experiencing abuse, and now live independently after aging out of the system.

Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 9,970 young adults left care or roughly 2,000 per year.

While the government has introduced new policies such as increasing monthly independence allowances and expanding eligibility for reentry into care, care leavers still report significantly more hardship than when they were under state protection.

A 2023 panel survey revealed that care leavers rated their life satisfaction at 5.3 out of 10, far below scores reported by children currently in care — 7.3 for group home residents, 7 for children in welfare facilities and 6.9 for those in foster care.

Mental health outcomes were also worse. A combined 35.1 percent of care leavers responded that they had either thought about suicide or considered how they would do it.

That figure was almost twice as high as for youth currently in child welfare facilities at 20.8 percent, foster homes at 17.3 percent or group homes at 16.9 percent.

Several high-profile suicides of former care residents in 2022 drew public attention to the issue.

Survey participants cited financial insecurity, housing instability and lack of access to employment information or qualifications as their most pressing challenges.

Many said they struggled with basic needs such as rent and living expenses after losing institutional support.

“Young people facing financial hardship also need psychological and emotional support to maintain a stable life,” Jang said. “Every year, a significant number of care leavers cut off contact and fall through the cracks of the welfare system. Authorities must do more to actively reach out to those who are isolated and unaccounted for.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JUNG JONG-HOON [[email protected]]