Health minister meets young social workers to hear their concerns

South Korea's health minister met a dozen early-career social workers and social welfare students in Seoul on Friday to hear how the job looks from the front line, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.

The session at the Yeomni Community Welfare Center in Mapo District brought together nine social workers in their 20s and 30s — working with children, older people and people with disabilities — and three university students preparing to qualify, along with Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong. Participants discussed what led them to choose social work and the everyday situations and difficulties they encounter on the job.

Jeong told the group the meeting was not for explaining government policy. "This gathering was not made to explain policy, but to listen fully to how our young people really feel about their work and what they need," she said.

Jeong thanked those who had chosen social welfare among many possible paths and said she expected much from what they would do in the field. She also heard them describe the expectations and questions they had brought to their first jobs, and the practical concerns they had run into since starting.

The concerns raised ranged from pay, promotion and retirement pensions to training for professional expertise, support for long-term retention and psychological burnout, and reducing and streamlining administrative work, Jeong said. Participants also offered views on policies for socially isolated young people, recognition of self-sufficiency program experience as career experience, improving fragmented youth policies, basic livelihood security for young people outside the family home, and youth mental health.

"Just as social workers' warm hands hold our society up, the government will be a sturdy fence for young social workers, matching our view to theirs and worrying together with them," Jeong said.

The ministry said it plans to reflect the proposals and concerns raised at the meeting in future policies on welfare-sector support and working conditions.