A Seodaemun District program in western Seoul has opened a fake office called NEET Company to help reclusive young adults ease back into society. The two-month initiative runs through Oct. 19 and gives participants a low-pressure setting with no sales targets or performance metrics. It targets adults aged 19 to 39 and is meant to rebuild daily routines and human connections. The district will assess the program with pre- and post-interviews to guide future youth welfare policy.
An orientation leader introduces the "NEET Company" program for socially isolated youth at the Seodaemun Youth Start-up Center in western Seoul. Courtesy of Seodaemun District Office
In a quiet community center in western Seoul, 33 young adults recently committed to a novel daily routine: waking up, dressing and reporting for work at a company that exists entirely to help them reenter society.
For many, stepping through the front door marked their tentative first foray into the outside world after months or even years spent largely behind closed bedroom doors.
They are the newest employees at "NEET Company," a virtual firm operating in Seodaemun District through Oct. 19.
