Participants clock in at a set time and meet colleagues, but there are no performance targets and no evaluations. The work is simply completing tasks they set for themselves. A "virtual company" designed to help socially isolated young adults recover the rhythm of daily life and their social ties has opened in Seoul's Seodaemun District.
The district office said on the 27th that it will run "NEET Company Seodaemun" from the 24th of this month through October 19 for young adults who are socially isolated or withdrawn, or who fall into the NEET category — not in employment, education or training.
NEET Company is a virtual company where participants commute and build relationships with colleagues as they would at a real firm, but are not asked to find a job or produce results. It functions as a kind of buffer zone, letting young adults experience a regular routine and social contact as they move back toward everyday life.
A total of 33 young adults aged 19 to 39 who live in Seodaemun District or spend their daily lives there are taking part. They verify their arrivals and departures online or in person five days a week to manage their daily rhythm. Once a week, they report in person to district facilities such as the Seodaemun Youth Startup Center to spend time with colleagues.
Participants also decide what "work" to do at the company. They set and carry out goals they need for themselves, including self-care, career exploration, self-development and social activities. The focus is on the experience of setting and pursuing one's own goals rather than on assigned duties or measurable results.
Activities with colleagues are planned by the participants as well. "In-house clubs," which bring together colleagues around shared interests, will run 10 times in September and October. Programs that take participants around Seodaemun are also planned, including animal-assisted therapy, forest therapy, trekking on the Ansan Jaraklgil trail and local environmental and vegan tours.
In October, a closing session will be held to share the results of roughly two months of activity. The participants will handle everything from choosing what to exhibit to arranging the space and promoting the event. They will present the work and activities they carried out, gaining "work experience" that gives concrete shape to their interests and talents.
Seodaemun District will also conduct small-group interviews and surveys with the nonprofit Neet People before and after the program to examine changes in participants' daily lives and social relationships. The findings will be used in future support policies for socially isolated and withdrawn young adults.
"What socially isolated and withdrawn young adults need is not pressure to rejoin society quickly, but time and space to restart daily life at their own pace and connect with people," Seodaemun District Mayor Park Un-ki said. "I hope young adults can reconnect with people in Seodaemun and find their own place."
