We Will Build a Healthy and Safe Society for All Youth

- Government Announces the “5th Comprehensive Measures to Protect Youth” in Response to New Harmful Environments in the Digital Age 

On Thursday, the 29th, the government, in cooperation with relevant agencies, announced “the 5th Comprehensive Measures to Protect Youth (2025–2027)” (hereinafter referred to as "Comprehensive Measures") to address new harmful environments arising from technological advances and changes in digital media.

This Comprehensive Measures focuses on identifying blind spots in youth protection created by the increasingly diverse media environment driven by adolescents’ daily use of digital services, as well as by new risks and evolving harmful businesses and substances facilitated through these platforms.

Under the vision of “building a healthy and safe society for all youth,” the Plan aims to “establish a youth protection system and strengthen response capabilities in new harmful environments” by implementing specific tasks under five strategic objectives:

- (1) Creating a safe and healthy environment for digital media use, (2) Blocking illegal and harmful environments near youth in their daily lives, (3) Strengthening support for at-risk youth and responding to violence and abuse, (4) Improving safe working conditions for youth, (5) Enhancing the foundation for promoting youth protection policies

< Key Features of the 5th Comprehensive Measures to Protect Youth (2025–2027) > 

- Improving user protection systems for AI-based services and establishing media platform management strategies to prevent overdependence on social networking services (SNS), short-form videos, and other digital media.

- Strengthening measures to block the distribution of harmful products to youth in unmanned retail stores and through online channels.

- Introducing safeguards against youth involvement in online gambling through their financial accounts, and limiting prescriptions of medical narcotics to minors.

- Requiring platform operators to preemptively block suspected sexual exploitation content—even if the content’s legality is unclear—and request review by the Korea Communications Standards Commission, while toughening penalties for digital sex crimes against minors.

- Enhancing labor inspections of small businesses such as restaurants that employ many youth and where wage arrears are reported, and launching joint campaigns with employers and civic groups to protect youth labor rights.

Choi Seong-ji, Director General for Youth and Family Policy Office at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stated: “As the use of digital services by youth becomes increasingly routine, youth protection policies must expand to address new risks like the spread of illegal or harmful content, media overdependence, and gambling.”

-She added, “We will work closely with relevant agencies to establish a stronger protection system in response to these emerging harmful environments, ensuring that our youth can grow up in a safe and healthy environment.”