In 2025, DDing Dong once again recorded the highest number of counseling sessions for LGBTIQ youth since its founding, reaching more hearts than ever before. A total of 599 counseling sessions were conducted with 184 LGBTIQ youth, including 116 LGBTIQ youth who contacted DDing Dong for the first time. Through the DDing Dong KakaoTalk channel, we exchanged 5,758 messages with youth, checking in on their well-being and providing information and guidance when needed.

DDing Dong supports the independent living of LGBTIQ youth who have left their homes to find safety. ‘The Rainbow Kit’ is a box of warmth and care delivered monthly, filled with food, hygiene products, and medicine.

Many LGBTIQ youth leave home after experiencing a lack of respect for their identity and existence within their families, or after facing violence and neglect. As a result, they often live in unstable conditions, which can lead them to drop out of school. They may also face discrimination in the process of seeking jobs and employment.

LGBTIQ youth who apply for the Rainbow Kit participate in a phone interview with DDing Dong, where they share more about their experience of leaving home and their current situations. Through this process, DDing Dong also assesses whether there are additional forms of support that the youth may need.

In 2025, through a quarterly satisfaction survey of the Rainbow Kit applicants, we tried to hear the items needed by LGBTIQ youth who have left their homes. As a result, we provided additional instant rice, diversified menstrual products, and increased the types of vegan foods.

The rate of applications for the Rainbow Kit is increasing every year for cisgender female young adults in their early 20s. This is a different trend from counseling support activities, which are steadily increasing in the number of transgender youth. It is confirmed that the LGBTIQ youth whom DDing Dong meets have various characteristics and needs, and especially for cisgender female youth, they need more material and practical support than psychological counseling.

DDing Dong Restaurant is a peer-participation program for LGBTIQ youth, providing a space where 15–20 LGBTIQ youth can gather for a meal and share their experiences. After the meal, a variety of activities such as interactive experiences and casual discussion sessions are offered, allowing participants to enjoy themselves. Through this program, youth can temporarily move beyond feelings of isolation and experience a sense of connection with their peers.

Voices from LGBTIQ Youth: DDing Dong Restaurant

“Home, PRIDE HOME” – Residential Support for LGBTIQ Youth

DDing Dong engages with LGBTIQ youth who have left home due to domestic violence or neglect. Although there are over 130 youth shelters nationwide, few can be described as LGBTIQ-friendly.

In particular, government-funded shelters operate under the “Standards for the Establishment and Operation of Youth Welfare Facilities,” which maintain a strict gender binary. This makes it difficult for transgender and non-binary youth to feel comfortable and safe. Many face admission refusal or must give up on using the shelters, leaving youth who have left home unsure where they will sleep each day.

To address housing concerns for these youth, DDing Dong launched the “Home, PRIDE HOME” Project in 2019. The project works in collaboration with research initiatives, emergency housing support, and independent living support centers, while also striving to improve the overall environment for youth support. In 2025, DDing Dong conducted training for youth-serving professionals and held workshops with activists from the Youth Housing Rights Network On, highlighting the need to expand care and independent living support beyond temporary interventions.

Support for HIV-Positive LGBTIQ Youth

HIV/AIDS remains a difficult topic due to persistent stigma and negative perceptions. Misinformation rooted in prejudice is still widespread, making it hard to distinguish fact from myth. Fear of HIV infection can isolate youth, creating environments where safe access to support is limited. Therefore, providing youth with safe spaces for counseling and accurate information is critically important.

DDing Dong provides routine HIV-related counseling and runs “HIVster (HIV+master),” a program that trains youth as HIV/AIDS peer educators. In 2025, three LGBTIQ youth served as the 5th cohort of HIVster. Graduates of the program shared detailed information on HIV transmission, prevention, testing, and treatment with 16 peer participants during the DDing Dong Restaurant “HIV/AIDS Special” in November.

The Queer Culture Festival is the event where DDing Dong meets the most LGBTIQ youth (approximately 500 in 2025). On the day of the festival alone, more than 400 youth accessed the DDing Dong KakaoTalk channel. At the same time, the festival exposes youth to risks such as hate speech and outing—that is, having their gender identity revealed without their consent.

To help youth enjoy the festival more safely, DDing Dong conducts the “Queer Culture Festival Guidance Campaign for Child and LGBTIQ youth” every year.

At the Seoul Queer Culture Festival, DDing Dong provides free ice cream to LGBTIQ youth and focuses on identifying youth in crisis. At festivals in non- metropolitan areas, DDing Dong operates the Qrum Cafe, a space where LGBTIQ youth can rest comfortably during the event. In 2025, Qrum Cafe for Gwangju Queer Culture Festival hosted over 60 youth from the Honam region, providing a space for socializing and relaxation.

DDing Dong staff welcoming participants at the 2025 Gwangju Queer Culture Festival

A LGBTIQ youth giving an acceptance speech at the
Rainbow Writing Contest for Queer Youth awards ceremony

Reflections from DDing-Ga DDing-Ga Volunteers