GOYANG — The city of Goyang in Gyeonggi Province said on the 7th that it will hold a youth festival called GOMZ DAY on the 19th at the Naeil Kkum Jejakso youth center in Hwajeong-dong, Deogyang District, to mark Youth Day. GOMZ combines the "GO" of Goyang with MZ, the local term for millennials and Generation Z, and the event brings together young people's interests ranging from hobbies and networking to careers and employment.
What sets this year's event apart is that young people took part from the planning stage. In April, the city formed a youth event planning committee of eight Goyang residents. The members, ranging from their 20s to their 30s and drawn from different occupations and interests, shared their own experiences to identify what young people need. They came up with the slogan "When tastes meet, connections follow" themselves, and jointly discussed detailed programs, booth layout, visitor flow and promotional plans.
What the committee focused on most was meeting and connecting. Members agreed the event should be a place to meet peers, share concerns, exchange interests and gather useful information. The aim is to go beyond a festival to enjoy and offer practical help in linking young people to one another.
Communication and exchange are the core themes. Taking into account how hard it is to start a conversation with someone met for the first time, organizers arranged programs with a relaxed atmosphere. In "Rotation Speed Dating," participants are split into two groups, those in their 20s and those in their 30s, and talk with several people in turn to learn about each other's interests. A "Socializing Party" will feature music and simple games for casual mingling.
The Todang Youth Training Center, a partner organization, will provide hair and makeup styling care. Advance applications will be taken with priority given to Rotation Speed Dating participants, while other young people may apply on site on the day depending on availability.
Other activities include personal color analysis to find a matching style, along with perfume making and a wine etiquette class to explore new tastes. Keycap making, repotting of houseplants and a tarot card program will also be offered. Career counseling will be available as well. Korea Aerospace University and Joongbu University will set up booths at the venue to provide career exploration and employment information and to offer counseling.
Ahead of the main event on the 19th, the city will hold a Youth Week from the 11th to the 17th. It is designed so that participants can choose from programs ranging from light everyday activities to ones that help with careers and job hunting.
The week opens with a youth running event, YOUTH RUN, at Ilsan Lake Park on the 11th, followed by a "Youth Table" meal program on the 15th and a special lecture on interview strategies using AI on the 16th, both at Naeil Kkum Jejakso. On the 17th, a one-day class on making MBTI-themed perfume and a guest lecture with an instructor from Doctor Bert will be held.
"It is all the more meaningful that this Youth Day event was planned with the direct participation of young people, who are Goyang's engine of growth," Goyang Mayor Min Kyung-sun said. "We will strengthen the foundation for youth participation so that young people's voices can lead to actual policy."
More details are available on the official website of Goyang's Naeil Kkum Jejakso. Some programs, including Rotation Speed Dating and the houseplant repotting session, require advance reservations through a form on the website.
