Gangnam-gu to host 2026 Yangjae Stream walking and health festival

Gangnam-gu will host the "2026 Yangjae Stream Walking Health Festival" on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Yangjae Stream waterfront cultural rest area and the Poi Park departure plaza.

Co-organized by the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center and the Gangnam-gu Sports Association (Walking Division), the event is held in conjunction with the 8th Gangnam-gu District Mayor's Cup Walking Competition. About 800 residents are expected to walk the scenic autumn foliage path along Yangjae Stream while experiencing the district's top-tier medical infrastructure all in one place.

Through the festival, the district aims to raise public awareness of the health center's programs and to spread a culture of proper walking and everyday health practices through public-private cooperation — advancing its vision of a "healthy and vibrant Gangnam-gu."

The program opens with a pre-ceremony performance, followed by an opening ceremony, the main walking competition and a second-act concert. A jazz band will perform at 8:40 a.m., with the opening ceremony and warm-up exercises beginning at 9 a.m. At 9:40 a.m., participants will set off from the Yangjae Stream waterfront cultural rest area for a 2-kilometer round-trip walk. After completing the course, a "Happy Concert" closing performance will cap the festivities.

Across the festival grounds, 10 teams and divisions from the public health center and nine specialized medical and health institutions in the district will jointly operate a total of 19 medical and health experience booths.

The public health center booths will offer a "Seoul Fitness Test" to determine participants' physical age through scientific fitness assessments, smoking cessation and alcohol reduction and nutrition campaigns, infectious disease prevention information and tick-prevention guidelines, chronic disease consultations, a hands-on CPR experience zone, an anti-drug campaign, a mental health recharge station, and tailored exercise programs from the Dementia Care Center and Well-Aging Center.

Private medical institution booths will feature the Gangnam-gu Medical Association and Medrex Hospital (cognitive and rehabilitation services), the Gangnam-gu Korean Medicine Association (body type examination), Seoul National University Hospital Gangnam Center (health consultations), Gangnam CHA Hospital (women's health), Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine (acupuncture and taping), UD Dental Clinic (oral health screening), Korea University Scoliosis Research Institute (spinal X-ray imaging), Korea Body Information Co. (body shape analysis) and K Studio (personal color analysis).

The district will station safety personnel and specialist physicians at an emergency medical booth on site, with an ambulance on standby, so residents can enjoy the festival with peace of mind. For more information, contact the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center's health administration division.

Gangnam-gu District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki said the festival offers residents a meaningful opportunity to walk together as a family against the backdrop of Yangjae Stream's autumn scenery, restore their everyday vitality and access high-quality health services from top medical professionals — all in one place. "We will continue to expand community-centered health promotion policies and physical activity programs so that residents can enjoy a healthy life in their daily lives," he said.