"Young People, Gather at the Han River"... Seoul Metropolitan Government to Host 'Seoul Youth Week' on September 18–19

[Financial News] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 14th that it will hold the '2026 Seoul Youth Week' event on September 18–19 in the area around Moonlight Plaza at Banpo Hangang Park to celebrate World Youth Day. The event is designed to allow young people to directly experience policies tailored to their growth types and participate in programs across various fields, including careers, finance, and culture.
The slogan for this year's Seoul Youth Week is 'Seoul, Unlock the Possibilities of Youth! Unlock ∞'. It embodies the idea that young people at a turning point in their growth can discover their potential and expand the areas in which they grow.
At 7 p.m. on the 19th, World Youth Day, the '2026 Youth Day Commemoration Ceremony' will be held on the main stage at Moonlight Plaza. Young people who have experienced growth and change over the past year will share stories about their experiences and new challenges.
The second Seoul Youth Awards ceremony will also be held. This year, there will be 12 recipients in total: one Grand Prize winner, three Top Excellence Award winners, and eight Excellence Award winners. The Grand Prize will go to freelance announcer Lee Ju-bin, who, as a young person caring for a family member, has worked on policy proposals and awareness-raising activities. After the ceremony, celebratory performances by singers Kang Seung-yoon, The Wind, Keyveatz, and Hannah will follow.
During the event, a 'Youth Growth Lounge' will also be operated, allowing young people to experience Seoul's youth policies according to their growth types. Participants will identify one of four growth types—Possibility Explorer, Growth Planner, Challenge Pioneer, or Leap Forward Aspirant—through a simple test and then receive recommendations for policies and programs tailored to their type.
Booths will also be set up to allow visitors to experience major youth policies, such as the Seoul Youth Job Academy, Seoul Young Careers, Youth Life Planning School, Seoul Youth Culture Pass, and Seoul Metropolitan Youth Center. Programs will also be offered in which participants can use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to bring ideas such as websites and games to life.
On the evening of the 18th, the day before World Youth Day, the 'Youth Night Picnic' will be held. Creator Country Rat (Ryu Chae-woo) and four young people from Seoul will participate in the talk concert 'Director's Cut: Scenes of Growth,' where they will share their career paths and experiences of growth. The movie 'The Intern' will be screened starting at 8 p.m.
Programs jointly planned with private companies will also be presented. The 'Like-Follow-Hap Lightning Flea Market' will be operated in partnership with Bungaejangter Inc. from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on September 18–19.
On the 19th, the 'Up Class Financial Golden Bell' will be held in collaboration with Upbit to enhance young people's economic and financial capabilities. In this program, participants answer quiz questions on practical financial knowledge, including asset management, credit and loans, digital assets, and financial fraud prevention. Prizes worth 1 million won will be awarded to the winners and others.
On the same day, the 'University Student Union Festival' will also be held at Banpo Hangang Park for the first time this year. The event will feature experience booths planned and operated by university students, a mini-sports day, and performances by university clubs, including bands, dance groups, and cheerleading squads.
Before the event, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will host the '2026 Seoul Youth Panel Conference' with The Seoul Institute on the 17th. Under the theme 'Seoul, Special City for Youth Growth in the AI Era,' the conference will analyze changes among the youth generation and their digital capabilities emerging in the AI and digital environment, and discuss the direction of data-based youth policies.
Park Joo-hee, Seoul Metropolitan Government's Director of Future Youth Planning, said, "I hope that World Youth Day will serve as an opportunity for young people to discover their potential and expand it," adding, "We will broaden opportunities and build a stronger foundation so that young people can demonstrate their capabilities and move on to the next stage."

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