Seokchon Lake transforms into 'Youth Playground' for festival planned by young residents

Young residents of Songpa-gu will take center stage at Seokchon Lake this weekend, running a festival they conceived and organized themselves.

Songpa-gu will hold the 2026 Songpa Youth Festival, titled "Cheongchun Yuwonji" (Youth Playground), on Sunday at Seokchon Lake to mark Youth Day, which falls on Saturday.

Running under the theme "Youth Unfolds, Songpa Embraces," the festival will take place from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the East Lake waterfront stage and the Songpa Tourism Information Center. About 1,000 young people and local residents are expected to attend.

The festival's defining feature is that members of the Songpa Youth Policy Network have handled everything from planning to execution. It stands as a flagship project in which young people go beyond being the target of policy to deciding and driving what they want to do themselves.

The main event, "Songpa Youth Night," kicks off at 6 p.m. It opens with a pre-show performance by young artist group Oreumse and a highlight reel, followed by the "Youth Worries World Cup," in which Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok and four youth representatives narrow down the concerns young people relate to most through a majority vote. A commemorative photo booth featuring an LED touch screen will also be set up for attendees to capture the moment.

From 3 p.m. at the East Lake waterfront stage, six teams of young artists will perform across a range of genres. The performers beat out a 12-to-1 competition through an open call.

Booths scattered throughout the venue will offer spaces to share concerns and talents. Options include a promotional booth covering youth policies from both the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Songpa-gu, one-on-one career mentoring and tailored counseling, a mental health consultation using brainwave-based stress checks, and fortune-telling sessions using tarot cards and traditional saju readings. Visitors who complete a stamp tour at two booths will receive popcorn and a slushie.

Additional offerings include financial and employment counseling from Shinhan Bank, personalized financial planning through the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Young Tech program, and "Songpa Eum Market," a marketplace featuring 16 social economy enterprises and small businesses.

"The Songpa Youth Festival is a place where young people and the community get to know each other," District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "We will continue to show sustained interest and support so that young people can freely showcase their talents and achieve their dreams."