The 2nd Ontact Gwanak Youth Festival Successfully Concludes

Implementing New Festival Methods in the COVID Era Through Non-Face-to-Face and Online Communication with Youth

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) successfully concluded the '2nd Gwanak Youth Festival - Ontact Live Concert,' held on the 24th via real-time live streaming using Zoom and YouTube channels, receiving great responses from online audiences.

Held under the concept of "A Blue (靑) Spring (春) Story Delivered in Autumn," this youth festival, hosted by comedian Lee Jungsoo, featured various programs that allowed real-time interaction with online audiences, including ▲Youth Radio Star ▲Virtual World Travel Lecture ▲Room Concert ▲Youth TalkTalk.

The event began with a celebratory performance titled Code: Arirang by Cello Gayageum X Moon Saehanbyeol, showcasing a beautiful harmony of three instruments?haegeum, gayageum, and cello?transcending the boundaries between East and West.

Following this, Youth Radio Star provided a platform to share stories and performances dedicated to someone special, such as family or friends. Rapper 'Eumchild,' visually impaired opera singer 'Jeon Youngjin,' and singer-songwriter 'Geu Bam' presented songs along with their stories, deeply moving the audience.

The Virtual World Travel segment was hosted by influencer couple Toktok, who traveled together to 55 countries and 196 cities over 3 years and 2 months, offering travel recommendations and useful travel tips.

Especially through a live Q&A session with the audience, participants virtually embarked on world travels that had become impossible due to COVID-19, delivering messages of hope and courage to young people facing challenges.

In the Youth TalkTalk corner, themed on living as young people in Gwanak during the COVID-19 era, three pre-registered participants joined as panelists to share their experiences, favorite aspects, and recommended places in Gwanak.

The Room Concert, prepared to provide performance opportunities to young artists facing a shortage of chances due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, featured passionate performances by talented young artists hoping for more stages in the future.

Notably, this event installed a large screen to accommodate 100 online panelists and utilized the Zoom platform to enable mutual video communication. This created a sense of presence as if attendees were physically at the venue, eliciting strong responses from online audiences and achieving a participant-centered event for youth who quickly adapt to changing times.

Mayor Park Junhee stated, “Amid the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the district plans to swiftly support young people in addressing various challenges they face and help them design a healthy future.” He added, “We hope the 'Gwanak Youth Festival' serves as an opportunity for Gwanak to take a step forward as a youth-specialized district.”