"I came out with just one suitcase"... The reality of 'Eighteen-Year-Old Adults' faced by children leaving care

The reality that young people facing or having already completed their protection period face upon entering the world was more bleak and lonely than expected. In episode 48 of KBS's 'Street Dinner' aired on November 17, 2019, the individuals themselves—children leaving care (youth preparing for independence)—appeared to share specific experiences and emotions they went through while leaving facilities and starting to stand on their own. On this broadcast, a place was prepared for the individuals leaving care to directly tell their stories as part of the 'Eighteen-Year-Old Adults Project' held in conjunction with The Beautiful Foundation.

"A life with nothing of my own"... Deprivation and perceptions felt during facility life

The participants appearing in the video, such as Shin Seon (3rd year since leaving care), Kim Jun-hyeong (6th year since leaving care), and Heo Jin (5th year since leaving care), recalled life in the facilities and explained the environment where it was difficult for personal belongings to exist. They conveyed the characteristics of group life where they had to use the same products for everything, including outerwear, bags, and shoes, as well as underwear, and were sometimes identified by numbers instead of names. One participant mentioned the sadness felt in an environment where all items were identical, saying, "I have nothing that is uniquely mine."

In particular, the participants spoke in unison about the social prejudice and perceptions they experienced during school life. One participant mentioned a scene from the drama 'When the Camellia Blooms' and expressed their feelings of having to guard themselves just to avoid even suspicion, stating, "Even though it wasn't a crime, my heart pounded alone," regarding situations where children in facilities were accused of or suspected of being thieves. They also added the sense of alienation and difficulty felt in situations where the presence of parents had to be confirmed, such as school home visits or field trips. It was also shared that the places where children in facilities gather are sometimes known to students at nearby schools, and they had to endure perceptions that treated them like they were in a detention center.

"The load contained in one suitcase"... The realistic weight faced on the first day of independence

For the 'Eighteen-Year-Old Adults' who must leave the facilities upon graduating high school, the moment of independence was a point where freedom and fear intersected. Although there are differences depending on the facility, it was mentioned that in cases where they enter a university or vocational school, they can stay in the facility longer through the 'Protection Extension System,' but in cases where they cannot, they must leave the facility when they turn 18 or 20 years old. One participant recalled the memory of leaving the facility on the day they left, carrying only one suitcase that contained all their clothes for the four seasons and blankets. The situation where they had to pack all their daily necessities at once, unlike other friends, made them realize the weight of independence.

While some expressed the moment of leaving the facility as "feeling like winning freedom like Papillon," the reality approached sternly right away. One participant, who took a train from the provinces to Seoul to attend university, confessed the helplessness felt at the fact that they had become an adult who had to be responsible for everything alone, saying, "I cried because I thought that now there is truly nowhere for my heart to rest." The participant added that while enduring the empty feeling and the coldness of the vacant room, they purchased several padded jackets out of a desire to fill their heart.

5 million won in independence settlement funds and the task of economic independence

The discussion continued regarding the 'Independence Settlement Fund,' an economic support measure during the process of independence. According to the participants, the independence settlement fund paid upon leaving the facility was at the level of approximately 5 million won. However, for young people who had never handled a large amount of money in their lives, this amount was not sufficient to maintain independence.

One participant honestly confessed their situation at the time, when they lacked economic awareness, saying, "Since it was the first large sum of money I had ever received in my life, I didn't know what to do and spent almost all of it in a month." The experience of consuming things they wanted to eat and things they wanted to have, and even treating friends to food, suggests the difficulties of economic independence faced by youth after leaving care and the need for systematic education and support.