Behind Baek Ji-young's surprise set: a festival built on support for young theater artists

Autumn had settled over the walking paths of Seoul Children's Grand Park when a sudden burst of piano music stopped passersby in their tracks. Singers 10CM and Urban Zakapa appeared one after another, followed by Eric Nam — and then singer Baek Ji-young took the stage in a surprise set that had been kept secret until that moment, filling the quiet forest with cheers in an instant. The scene unfolded Saturday at the 2026 Art Forest Festival with Background Live, organized by the Arts Council Korea at Seoul Children's Grand Park.

Now in its fourth year, the festival broke entirely from the conventions of traditional outdoor performances — paid admission, fixed timetables — replacing them with voluntary arts patronage and guerrilla busking in everyday spaces, pushing the boundaries of what a public arts event can be.

The festival's entry ticket was not a conventional one but a donation receipt. Of 1,821 applicants who donated at least 5,000 won to the Theater Tomorrow Fund — a program supporting stable creative environments for young theater artists — 350 were selected by lottery and invited to attend, each allowed to bring one guest, for a total of 700 attendees. The arrangement transformed arts patronage, long seen as the preserve of wealthy individuals and corporations, into an accessible, feel-good activity that any citizen could take part in.

The festival's format was equally unconventional. Through a collaboration with Background Live — the signature concept of the popular YouTube channel JK Out — the organizers scrapped a fixed performance schedule altogether. Wandering the park's forest paths, attendees stumbled upon live sets by popular singers, caught pianist Yoon Han and Annoying Box performing in the open air, and witnessed flash mobs by cast members from the play "Cruise" and the musicals "Six the Musical" and "A Tale of Two Cities."

The venue layout also centered on community sharing. Highlights included a food and beverage booth by the culinary curation platform Pudingco, a photo zone featuring the character Joguman developed in collaboration with young entrepreneurs and small-business owners, a merchandise zone by Shinyeomakket — a social enterprise that creates jobs for senior citizens — and on-the-spot art experiences including instant portrait sessions and a vintage-typewriter writing corner. YouTube creators Gwon Ddoddo and Juho Da joined as "supporting partners," encouraging visitors to take part in the giving.

All funds raised through the festival will go directly to the Theater Tomorrow Fund. The fund traces its origins to a donation by veteran actors Shin Gu and Park Geun-hyung, who contributed the proceeds from a sold-out national tour of "Waiting for Godot" to Arts Council Korea's flagship incubation fundraising initiative. Small donations from the public have since been added to that founding gift, completing a virtuous cycle in which the returns flow back as growth support for young theater artists working in difficult conditions.

The live moments captured at the festival will reach a wider audience online. Key performances and candid audience reactions filmed on the day are being edited into Background Live videos for the JK Out YouTube channel and will be released in sequence.

Arts Council Korea Chairman Lee Beom-heon said the festival "proved that, by combining with a familiar platform like YouTube, it is possible for the public to break down the barriers to arts patronage and enjoy it as a natural part of daily life, the way they enjoy a festival." He added that he was "deeply grateful to the supporters who joined with good intentions" and pledged to continue working on institutional measures so that arts patronage can take root as a universal part of Korean society.