A Study on Legislative Improvements for Supporting the Independence of Homeless Youth

Nearly 70,000 homeless youth in South Korea require state support due to the lack of protection within their original families. However, the current legal framework divides these youth into two categories: children in need of protection and youth in crisis, each subject to different support systems and discriminatory policies. Despite repeated system improvements, many young people continue to face economic hardships and isolation, leading to tragic outcomes. This bifurcated approach to youth homelessness and the resulting sense of exclusion undermine the dignity and worth of homeless youth. This study aims to explore a unified legislative framework that integrates the support for children aging out of care under the Child Welfare Act and youth outside the home under the Youth Welfare Support Act. To this end, it compares the support systems for homeless youth in the United Kingdom, establishes a legal definition for homeless youth, and proposes the introduction of supported housing, which combines housing and services, to enable youth who have left home to live inclusively within their communities.