On the afternoon of the 26th, a talk concert titled 'Side by Side, Us' was held at the Gajaewool Youth Center in Seoul, organized by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Korea Youth Counseling Welfare Institute. The event aimed to share the experiences of homeless youth in achieving independence and to identify necessary policy improvements by listening to the needs of homeless adolescents and social workers. Approximately 50 people, including representatives of homeless youth and workers from youth welfare facilities, attended the event.

During the talk concert, homeless youth openly shared the challenges they faced while staying in youth shelters and during their preparation for independence. A participant, Anna Yeon (25), expressed her wish for extended stay periods in short- and medium-term shelters. She raised serious concerns about instances where guardians could take children back home against their will, recounting her own experience of being coerced into returning home. In response, Choi Sung-ji from the Ministry of Gender Equality emphasized their commitment to reforming laws to prevent guardians from being contacted in cases of violence, highlighting the need for better on-the-ground application of these guidelines.

The event also shed light on the ongoing issues facing homeless youth who fall into policy blind spots. A former homeless youth turned social worker, referred to as B (34), pointed out that many who leave home due to their parents' financial status face obstacles in accessing welfare programs, such as scholarships. He called for an increase in independent support officers as many regions are lacking these resources. Additionally, another participant, Choi Jun-hyuk (22), shared his anxiety about managing everything alone after leaving the shelter and stressed the importance of establishing a post-exit management system for better support after leaving shelters.