Dongjak-gu to hold its inaugural Youth Creative Culture Festival on Sept. 19, Youth Day, featuring performances, exhibitions, markets and hands-on activities
Dongjak-gu will host a special lecture series for young residents, offering emotional encouragement and motivation by inviting prominent figures to share their life experiences.
The lecture is tied to the inaugural Youth Creative Culture Festival, held in observance of Youth Day, and will run from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 19 in the grand auditorium on the fourth floor of the Dongjak-gu District Office.
The featured speaker is Park Chun-hyu, the playwright and lyricist behind "Maybe Happy Ending," who in 2025 became the first Korean to win Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical.
Held under the theme "Maybe, Still, Happy Ending," the lecture will consist of a 50-minute talk followed by a 30-minute audience Q&A.
Park, who works as a playwright, lyricist and director, will recount his journey from the days he began writing musicals on his own while working in New York to the moment "Maybe Happy Ending" reached stages in both Seoul and New York.
He will also discuss the doubts and challenges he faced as a creator and share his thoughts on what a "true happy ending" really means.
The district hopes the lecture will give young people grappling with questions about their potential and future the courage to pursue their dreams and find fresh inspiration.
Applications are open through 6 p.m. on Sept. 10, via the Dongjak-gu integrated reservation system, with 400 spots available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If applications exceed capacity, participants will be selected by lottery, with priority given to residents between the ages of 19 and 39 (born between 1986 and 2007).
Selected applicants will be notified individually via messaging services. Those with further inquiries may contact the Dongjak-gu District Office's Youth and Adolescent Division.
Dongjak-gu will also stage the inaugural Youth Creative Culture Festival at the district office on Sept. 19, giving local young residents a platform to present performances, exhibitions, markets and hands-on programs directly to the public.
"A happy ending in youth is not something someone else defines for you — it is something you create yourself," Dongjak-gu District Mayor Ryu Sam-young said. "I hope Park Chun-hyu's story of forging his own path will spark something new in young people and give each of them the push to take one step toward their own dreams."
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