"Youth mental health, let's do it together."
The "2026 Seoul Youth Mental Health Festa" was held on the 3rd at the Mulbit Stage in Yeouido Hangang Park, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
Amid growing awareness of the importance of youth mental health, the event — sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and organized by the Korea Children and Youth Cultural Center — featured a variety of programs including a dance competition, healing experiences, mental health counseling, and a performance by singer Haha, drawing enthusiastic participation from youth attendees.
A wide range of experiential content proved popular across the Mulbit Stage area, including music and art healing programs featuring emotion drawing and artistic activities; the Happy Root-Run Check-up offering personalized dietary counseling; a photo booth operated as a participant message wall; coloring art therapy to aid emotional recovery; healing aroma therapy for stress relief; the Maeum Talk Talk tarot counseling program for youth concerns; and personal color analysis experiences.
Youth who participated in the "Youth Healing Yoga" program, offered through advance registration, experienced yoga focused on breathing and meditation in an outdoor space against the backdrop of the Han River, easing physical tension and enhancing emotional stability.
"It was great to be able to learn yoga, which is usually hard to access, here along the Han River," said Lee So-yeon, 16, who took part in the yoga experience. "The professional psychological counseling and various healing experience programs were also enjoyable."
The event also featured participation from a range of organizations offering youth-tailored experience programs, including the Seoul Youth Counseling and Welfare Center, the Seoul Out-of-School Youth Support Center, the Seoul Pharmaceutical Association, the Nowon I-Zone Center, Yongsan Police Station, Yangcheon Police Station, and Korea University.
The Seoul Youth Counseling and Welfare Center drew natural youth participation through stress-relief game programs, while the Seoul Out-of-School Youth Support Center ran "Show Me Your Heart," a therapeutic horticultural activity program featuring plants, drawing considerable interest.
The Seoul Pharmaceutical Association operated an illegal drug prevention campaign and pharmacist career experience program under the theme "There Is No 'What If' With Drugs," while the Nowon I-Zone Center set up an experience zone to prevent digital media overdependence.
Yongsan and Yangcheon Police Stations respectively operated school violence and crime prevention experiences along with police career programs, as well as a crisis-signal awareness campaign and an addiction prevention program.
At the Mulbit Stage, a "Mental Health Talk Concert" provided a time for open communication, with youth sharing candid stories about their worries, stress, and career paths.
The highlight of the day was a healing performance by guest artist Haha, who energized the venue by running and breathing along with the youth audience. The subsequent youth dance and vocal competition featured 10 teams of young performers from across the country showcasing their talents and energy.
