Busan Youth Week 2026 kicks off with policy forum, festival events

Busan city will hold a Youth Day ceremony for the 2026 Busan Youth Week at Pier 1 of Busan Port on Saturday afternoon, the city announced Friday. Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, People Power Party lawmaker Jo Seung-hwan of the Jung and Yeongdo districts, Kim Tae-eui, deputy chair of the Busan City Council's Planning and Finance Committee, heads of local public institutions, youth policy officials and young residents are expected to attend.

The ceremony will open with a performance capturing the diverse lives and faces of Busan's youth, followed by commendations for those who have contributed to youth policy development and a mask ceremony bringing together older and younger generations. After the ceremony, Mayor Jeon plans to hear opinions and proposals from young people at a policy talk concert and share the city's policy direction — including its "Busan-style youth guarantee" initiative — on employment, growth and settlement for youth.

Busan city is running the 2026 Busan Youth Week, a flagship local youth festival planned and led by young people themselves, from Friday through Sunday. Now in its eighth year, the festival operates under the slogan "The Faces of Busan's Youth" and the theme "Different youths, sailing toward one Busan," celebrating the varied lives and personalities of the city's young residents.

Park Gyu-nam, chief executive of Purple Wave Co., was appointed as the festival's youth director and shaped its programming from a young person's perspective. Highlights include comedian Kim Yeong-hui's talk show "Malja Show," job-hunting expert Lee Hyeong's employment lecture, a rotation blind-date event with masks designed to help young people make new connections, a DJ party and masquerade ball, wellness programs, and youth experience booths.

"The potential of young people is the potential of Busan, and the growth of young people is the growth of Busan," Mayor Jeon said. "We will carefully refine our youth policies so that young people do not miss the opportunities they need at every important moment in their work and lives, and we will continue to develop the Busan-style youth guarantee step by step, together with young people."