151 young volunteers aged 18 to 28 were inaugurated Saturday at Seocho-gu Office, with the group set to support stage operations and event management at the Seoripul Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday
Seocho-gu held an inauguration ceremony Saturday for the third cohort of its youth volunteer corps, the "Seoripul Runners," at the main auditorium on the second floor of Seocho-gu Office.
Made up of young people between the ages of 18 and 28, the Seoripul Runners takes its name from the idea of youth who grow together by running (runner) and learning (learner) side by side.
The 151 volunteers selected this year will take part in the Seoripul Music Festival, held along Banpo-daero on Saturday and Sunday, supporting stage operations and event management across a range of roles.
The ceremony welcomed the newly selected third cohort and featured a recap of highlights from previous cohorts' work at the festival, followed by basic volunteer training and safety education focused on preventing accidents at large-scale events. Participants received activity kits including group T-shirts, marking the start of the third cohort.
Since its launch in 2024, the Seoripul Runners has grown to a cumulative 367 participants across its first three cohorts, becoming a space where young people from diverse backgrounds connect through volunteer experience.
The third cohort again draws added meaning from its diverse membership, including young foreign nationals from Russia, China and Vietnam, students majoring in performance planning and cultural arts, and a pair of close friends volunteering together for the third consecutive year.
This year's Seoripul Music Festival, co-created with the Seoripul Runners under the theme "Seocho is the Music!," will fill a roughly 900-meter stretch of Banpo-daero with performances spanning classical, jazz and K-pop. Saturday's lineup features a string quartet from the LA Philharmonic, soprano Hwang Su-mi in a classical set, and violinist Danny Koo in a jazz performance, while Sunday brings a high-energy band showcase headlined by Lee Seung-yoon and others.
Pop-up stages and family-friendly programs will also be set up throughout the street, offering a music festival that everyone — from children to seniors — can enjoy.
Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said he "wholeheartedly cheers on the youth volunteers who have been running, learning and building meaningful experiences alongside Seocho over the past three years," adding that the district would "continue expanding participation opportunities linked to a variety of cultural and arts events so that young people can showcase their talents through more and more chances."
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