Kyung Hee University, University of Seoul and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies joined forces from Sunday through Tuesday for a three-day academic, cultural and sports festival, with Seoul Youth Center Dongdaemun co-organizing the event.
Dongdaemun-gu said the 2026 Troika Samdong Festival, organized jointly by students from Kyung Hee University, the University of Seoul and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, was held successfully over three days from Sunday through Tuesday.
The Troika Samdong Festival is an inter-university festival designed to help students from the three universities in Dongdaemun-gu connect and communicate across campus boundaries.
This year's event comprised three programs — an academic conference, a cultural arts exchange and a sports competition — bringing students together across academic, cultural and athletic fields.
The opening ceremony of the cultural arts exchange was held Monday on the main stage in front of the University of Seoul's main auditorium, drawing Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min along with key officials and students from all three universities.
A notable aspect of this year's festival was that students took the lead by forming their own planning committee. The Troika Planning Committee organized the event, with Seoul Youth Center Dongdaemun participating as a co-organizer to support inter-university exchange and encourage students' independent involvement.
The academic conference featured a policy proposal competition and academic forums, while the cultural arts exchange showcased club performances and artistic exchanges among the three universities. The sports competition brought students together across a range of events — soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, table tennis and badminton — strengthening bonds between the campuses.
District Mayor Choi said in a congratulatory address that "the creative ideas and passion that young people from our district's three universities generate through their exchanges are a precious driving force that breathes new vitality into the community, transcending campus walls." He added that he hoped the festival would not remain a one-off event but continue as a platform for sustained exchange with the broader community. "We will always cheer on the bright dreams and ambitions of young people, and actively support them so they can freely pursue their dreams and grow here in Dongdaemun-gu," he said.
The district said it plans to continue strengthening cooperation with universities and youth organizations in the area, and to support a wide range of youth activities that give college students and other young people opportunities to connect freely and gain new experiences.
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