100 Young People from Across Korea to Experience Gwangju, September 26-28
Applications Open Until the 10th
Fostering Youth Exchange and Local Vitality
On September 1, Gwangju City announced that it will hold the "Youth, How About Gwangju" project from the 26th to the 28th, inviting 100 young people from across the country to experience Gwangju firsthand over a three-day, two-night program.
This project, themed "Challenge Gwangju FLEX," is designed so that participants can choose one of three areas-gourmet, art, or K-pop-and deeply experience the unique charms of Gwangju.
During the event, "2025 Gwangju Youth Week" and the "Youth Exchange General Assembly" organized by the Gwangju Youth Center will be held simultaneously, providing opportunities for participants to interact with local youth. Through these initiatives, the city aims to showcase Gwangju's vibrant present to young people nationwide and foster new connections to revitalize the local economy and promote youth exchanges.
This event will recruit a total of 100 participants: 25 young people from Gwangju aged 19 to 39, and 75 young people from other regions. The proportion of participants from outside Gwangju has been increased to encourage experience sharing and to help spread Gwangju's appeal nationwide.
Applications can be submitted online through the Gwangju Youth Integrated Platform until the 10th. The final list of participants will be announced individually and on the platform on the 12th. Participants will select one of three themes-gourmet, art, or K-pop-according to their interests and carry out related missions.
In the "gourmet" field, participants will have a special session creating new dishes inspired by southern regional cuisine, guided by Professor Kim Jihyun of Gwangju Women's University, who previously served as head of the Namdo Food Culture Research Institute. The "art" field features a collaborative creative program with artist Han Heewon, recipient of the Oh Jiho Art Award. In the "K-pop" field, participants will work with choreographer Choi Youngjun, known as a judge on "The Great Show Taekwon," and complete K-pop missions at Joy Dance Music Academy in Dong-gu, which was attended by K-pop stars from Gwangju.
Participants will also have opportunities to visit major attractions such as the Asia Culture Center and the Gwangju Design Biennale, as well as enjoy local specialties at renowned restaurants, including traditional Korean table d’hote and Songjeongri Hyangto Tteokgalbi.
Participants will share the results of their three-day experience on their personal social media accounts and, on the final day, present their impressions at a results-sharing session where outstanding teams will be selected and awarded. The top teams will receive the Gwangju Mutual Growth Card as prize money to encourage local economic activity and repeat visits by young people to Gwangju.
Kim Kisuk, Director of the Education and Youth Bureau, stated, "The three days spent in Gwangju will be more than just an experience-they will be a special time of challenge, growth, and exchange with peers. We hope that many young people from across the country will show interest and participate in this event, where they can express their talents and youthfulness in Gwangju."
Meanwhile, "Youth, How About Gwangju" is a public-private joint project proposed by the Youth Division of the Gwangju City Public-Private Governance Council and is conducted using the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Local Extinction Response Fund.
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