Gwanak-gu is hosting a one-of-a-kind hiking blind date for single-person youth households born in the 1990s and 2000s, pairing participants as they climb Gwanaksan together. Online registration is open through Tuesday, July 1, with a 10,000 won ($6) participation fee.
Gwanak-gu, led by District Mayor Park Jun-hee, will hold "Hiking Duo," a trail-based blind date program designed to foster healthy connections among young residents, on July 5.
The event uses Gwanaksan — the district's signature landmark, widely celebrated for its energizing atmosphere — as its backdrop. It was created to help young single-person households, who are particularly vulnerable to social isolation, build meaningful social networks.
"Hiking Duo" blends outdoor activity with matchmaking. Unlike conventional blind dates held in a fixed venue over a short conversation, participants get to know one another by hiking Gwanaksan together, talking as they climb.
Along the trail, participants rotate partners at designated intervals and take part in various group missions, allowing them to naturally discover each other's personalities and values. At the summit, they share a rest and a meal to continue bonding. "The program is designed to ease the pressure of a typical blind date and let relationships form naturally through shared experience in a relaxed setting," a district official said.
The event is open to single-person youth households born in the 1990s or 2000s. Interested applicants can register through July 1 by scanning the QR code on the event poster, though spots may close early depending on demand.
The participation fee is 10,000 won ($6) per person, and all proceeds will be donated to a local social cooperative. For more information about "Hiking Duo," contact the Gwanak-gu Office's Welfare Policy Division or Ayaeoyo Co.
The district plans to keep the momentum going with "Cooking Duo" in August — a program centered on cooking together — as part of its ongoing "Duo Project," which uses shared interests and hobbies to help young single-person households forge social connections.
"I hope this program, set against the backdrop of lucky Gwanaksan, gives young people a special opportunity to stay healthy and meet new connections," District Mayor Park said. "We will continue to develop distinctive social-network building initiatives unique to Gwanak-gu, so that single-person households — including young residents — can lead healthy, fulfilling lives as part of our community, free from social isolation and loneliness."
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