Event set for Saturday at Mapo Central Library; six youth-proposed policies on festival, environment, transportation and sports to be presented, voted on and debated, with top proposals eligible for inclusion in district governance
The "2026 Mapo-gu Youth Policy Festa Pick!" — an event where young residents identify and propose policies they want to see — will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. in the seminar room of Mapo Central Library.
Organized by the district-run Mapo Youth Culture Center, the event gives young people a platform to turn problems they have observed in their community into concrete policy proposals, which are then refined through public voting and open debate.
Particularly notable is that youth representatives will present their proposals directly to Mapo-gu officials, with the district's policy team serving as judges to assess each proposal's necessity and its potential fit with existing district governance.
Six policies will be on the agenda: hosting a participatory local festival for youth and children, installing more visible public trash cans, repairing and expanding bicycle lanes, building sports facilities exclusively for youth, expanding youth convenience facilities centered on schools, and establishing a youth shelter in Mapo-gu.
Earlier, the district accepted policy submissions from local youth from July 8 to Aug. 19. A total of 87 participants submitted 82 proposals spanning culture, the environment, transportation, sports, welfare and other areas closely tied to young people's daily lives.
A five-member panel of youth and experts reviewed the submissions and narrowed them to 18 candidates for a public vote. Online voting and on-site voting at schools, youth programs and festival venues then determined the six finalists advancing to the main event.
On the day of the event, each finalist team will run a policy experience booth to explain the purpose and need for their proposal directly to attendees.
An audience vote will follow, along with an in-depth discussion on the feasibility of each policy. The combined results of the vote and debate will be used to select the top proposals, which will be recognized with awards.
The district plans to review the youth proposals through relevant departments to determine whether they can be incorporated into actual governance. There is precedent: a "Mapo-gu Youth E-sports Festival" proposed by young residents last year was adopted as policy and held on a pilot basis this year.
The district sees the event as an opportunity for young people to engage with local issues, take part in the policy-making process, and experience firsthand how their voices can translate into change in their community.
Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said watching young people think seriously about community problems and speak their minds with confidence gives reason to expect a bright future for Mapo-gu. "We will listen closely so that the voices of our youth find their way into policy — and so that change reaches back into their everyday lives," Yoo said.
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