InterviewSocial media bans alone won't protect children, Korea's youth agency chief says

As governments around the world move to restrict children’s access to social media and smartphones, the head of Korea’s leading youth affairs agency says blanket age-based bans should not be the centerpiece of youth protection in the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) era.

Kim Jin-sang, who became president of the Korea Youth Work Agency (KYWA) last month, said stronger safeguards and greater platform accountability are essential. But he believes the more fundamental solution is helping young people manage risks and make responsible choices for themselves.

“Restrictions alone cannot solve young people’s digital problems,” Kim told The Korea Times in a recent interview. “We must equip them with the ability to assess information and risks for themselves, manage their digital use, critically assess algorithms and online content and act responsibly.”

His remarks come amid intensifying global debate over how to protect young children online. Last year, Australia became the first country to require major social media platforms to prevent users under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts. Other governments are considering or developing similar measures as concerns rise over cyberbullying, harmful content and excessive screen time.

Kim made it clear that platform companies should bear more responsibility for making online environments safer, but he cautioned that restriction-focused policies could overlook adolescents’ rights to information and participation.

“I believe the most important principle is to protect young people without excluding them, and to give them autonomy while helping them learn responsibility alongside it,” he said. “It is important not to view young people merely as those who need protection, but to support them as they grow into individuals who can make their own judgments — and learn to take responsibility for them.”

KYWA developed a digital-citizenship competency framework last year and incorporated it into this year’s youth-activity assessment tool. This framework is organized around four areas: self-protection, self-development, communication and social participation.

The curriculum extends beyond privacy and screen-time management to responsible AI use, evaluating online information, responding to cyberbullying and participating constructively in digital society.

“Self-protection is not simply about cutting down on smartphone use. It means having the capacity to make informed decisions about how to manage one’s digital consumption, how far to trust information provided by AI, how to protect personal data and how to safeguard one’s rights,” Kim said.

KYWA is piloting three digital citizenship programs built around the framework. A middle-school program on information verification, responsible AI use and ethical online conduct has reached 188 participants at five institutions as of Sept. 3.

The organization's quiz-based “Challenge! Digital Citizenship Golden Bell” program has reached more than 1,600 young people through 30 sessions at 12 institutions. A third program, developed with the Korean Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education, covers digital overuse and gender equality and has reached over 380 participants through 22 sessions conducted at 20 institutions.

“Drawing on the pilot results and feedback, we will continue improving the programs and expand their rollout from next year. We also plan to develop modular programs in stages for elementary and high-school-age students,” he said.

AI is a particular focus of the agency’s education effort.

“I think there is a difference between young people who are proficient at using AI and those who use it independently,” Kim said. “Using AI independently means considering issues such as personal data, copyright and ethics rather than accepting its output at face value and taking responsibility for the final judgment and outcome.”

Meanwhile, KYWA is running a global competency-building program involving about 200 young people from seven countries. Moving beyond cultural exchange trips, it links country-specific contexts with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and focuses on shared issues such as digital issues and gender equality.

“Ultimately, we aim to foster young people who do not merely observe the world, but who think about and help solve the world’s problems together. Through international exchanges, we will support them in becoming global citizens who respect different perspectives and cultures, collaborate on shared challenges and find their roles in creating solutions,” he said.