A two-part youth festival offering daytime career and job-prep programs and a nighttime silent disco — registration for the talk concert and silent DJ party is open until Friday at 2 p.m.
Mapo-gu will host the "2026 Mapo Youth Festival MAP-O" on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. along the Hongdae Walking Street, marking Youth Day.
The name MAP-O combines the district's name, Mapo, with the image of a map, and carries the subtitle "Stories of Youth Unfolding Across Mapo." The festival is designed for young people to explore career paths, enjoy culture and connect with one another.
A youth festival planning committee helped shape the event, bringing young people's perspectives to the program lineup and performer selection. The festival runs in two parts under the theme "DAY & NIGHT" — preparing for the future by day and enjoying culture by night.
The first part, "LIFE-UP: Preparing for Tomorrow," runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and features programs to help young people with career exploration and job preparation.
A job-skills lecture and talk concert will offer job seekers between the ages of 19 and 39 information on hiring trends and various career fields. Saramin will open with a session on recent recruitment trends and job-search strategies, followed by talks from professionals at Posco, OB Beer and Kakao, who will share their experiences in business planning, public relations and software development.
Booths for more personalized career counseling will also be available. Former and current employees from 12 companies — including Samsung, LG Group and Kakao — will offer job and career consultations as well as resume and cover letter reviews. The Mapo Job Center and the Seoul Western Employment Center will provide vocational counseling, job-matching registration and information on employment support policies.
Beyond job support, the festival will feature programs reflecting a range of youth interests. Booths run by youth organizations — including the Mapo Youth Startup Support Center Naru and the Seoul Youth Center Mapo — will offer startup consulting, personal color and body-type analysis, and AI-generated caricature experiences.
The second part, "VIBE-UP: Enjoy Today," runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and centers on a silent disco — a wireless-headphone dance party — open free of charge to anyone between the ages of 19 and 39.
Registration for both the talk concert and the silent disco is open through Friday at 2 p.m. via the Mapo-gu website or the QR code on the promotional poster. Applicants will be notified of their selection by text message before 6 p.m. the same day.
"I hope this festival gives young people wrestling with their futures a chance to find direction in their job search, and gives those worn down by busy daily lives a chance to simply have fun," Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said. "We will cheer on the challenges and everyday lives of young people so they can discover their potential and find renewed energy here in Mapo."
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