Busan is good

“Different Journeys of Youth, One Voyage Toward Busan” — 2026 Busan Youth Week to Open

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it will hold the Youth Day commemorative ceremony for the 2026 Busan Youth Week at Busan Port Pier 1 at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, September 19.

The ceremony will be attended by distinguished guests including Mayor Chun Jae-soo; National Assembly member Cho Seung-hwan, representing Jung-gu and Yeongdo-gu; Kim Tae-hee, Vice Chair of the Planning and Finance Committee of the Busan Metropolitan Council; and Busan Metropolitan Council member Kim Eun-myung, as well as heads of public institutions in Busan, youth policy officials and local young people.

The event will feature a video portraying the diverse lives and expressions of Busan’s young people, followed by an opening performance, commendations for individuals who have contributed to the advancement of youth policy, and a mask ceremony bringing together older and younger generations.

Following the ceremony, Mayor Chun Jae-soo will participate in a policy talk concert to hear policy proposals and opinions from young people and share policy directions for supporting their employment, growth and settlement in Busan, including the Busan Youth Guarantee System.

In celebration of Youth Day, Busan Metropolitan City will hold the 2026 Busan Youth Week, a signature local youth festival planned and participated in directly by young people, for three days from today, September 18, through September 20 at Busan Port Pier 1.

Now in its eighth year, Busan Youth Week will be held under the slogan “Faces of Busan’s Youth” and the theme “Different Journeys of Youth, One Voyage Toward Busan,” as a participatory festival reflecting the diverse lives and individuality of young people.

Busan Port Pier 1 is a symbolic place that has helped drive the growth and development of Busan as one of Korea’s leading port cities. The venue also carries the meaning of a place where young people setting out on new paths can raise anchor toward their dreams and challenges.

This year’s Busan Youth Week is being overseen by Youth Director Park Gyu-nam, CEO of Purple Wave Co., Ltd., who has taken charge of overall event planning and shaped the festival’s direction and programs from the perspective of young people.

The festival features programs covering growth, careers, culture and networking for young people. Offerings include comedian Kim Young-hee’s “Malja Show,” Lee Hyung’s special employment lecture, a rotating masked dating event supporting new connections among young people, a DJ party and masquerade, wellness programs and youth experience booths.

Detailed information on registration status, participation methods and other event information is available on the official Busan Youth Week website at https://busanyouthweek.com.

Meanwhile, Busan Metropolitan City is pursuing youth policies designed to expand employment opportunities and foundations for growth so that young people can start and develop the careers they want in Busan, while ensuring that future changes in the city, including its development as a global maritime capital and the major transformation driven by artificial intelligence, create more opportunities for young people.

Through the First Career Guarantee System, the city plans to help young people enter the labor market and take on new challenges, while supporting stable independence through expanded assistance for asset building and monthly rent. It will also support young people in enjoying culture and leisure while preparing for the future and will work together with them to develop systems that ensure their voices lead to policy improvements and tangible changes in their lives.

In particular, the city plans to strengthen communication channels through which it can directly hear young people’s views and reflect them in policy, enabling young people to participate not simply as beneficiaries of policy but as active agents in municipal governance.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “The potential of young people is the potential of Busan, and the growth of young people is the growth of Busan. Just as Busan Port has served as a gateway connecting Korea with the world, Busan must become a city of opportunity that connects the dreams and challenges of young people with a wider world.”

He added, “We will continue to refine our youth policies in detail so that young people do not miss the opportunities they need at important moments in their work and lives, and we will steadily continue discussions on the Busan Youth Guarantee System together with young people.”