Seoul mental wellness festival draws 1,000 visitors to Deoksugung-gil

Approximately 1,000 people visited the "Welcome to the Mind Station" festival at Deoksugung-gil Car-Free Street on October 9, where 28 brands offered 34 different ways to care for the mind. Following early pre-registration closing after exceeding 400 applicants, a satisfaction survey showed that 89.6% of respondents used the event to reflect on their emotional states.

Social enterprise 282 Books announced that it has concluded the 2026 Seoul Mental Wellness Festival, "Welcome to the Mind Station," which was held on October 9 at the Deoksugung-gil Car-Free Street in Seoul. The event was designed to allow citizens to directly experience various mental wellness methods that can be practiced in daily life.

A total of 28 brands and organizations participated in the event, proposing "34 ways to care for my mind." Pre-registration closed early after exceeding 400 applicants, and on the day of the event, approximately 1,000 people visited the site, according to organizers' estimates. Various programs were conducted at the booths, including meditation, singing bowls, scents, tea, emotion cards, picture diaries, writing workshops, psychological testing, and counseling.

The event was characterized by translating mental wellness from an abstract concept into a concrete lifestyle. In particular, the placement of experiential programs alongside counseling information created a flow where citizens could check their own states and select the methods they needed.

282 Books reported that in a satisfaction survey, 89.6% of respondents said they reflected on their own minds or emotional states, 84.0% said it helped them find the mental wellness methods they needed, and 85.6% said they wanted to practice these methods in their daily lives. Among the participating brands and organizations, 77.8% responded that the customers they actually met matched their expectations, and 92.6% said it helped promote their brands to more people.

Performances and participatory art were also included in the event. At the Mind Rest Area, there were live drawings by artist Latisha, performances by choreographer Kim Ho-yeon and pre-workshop participants, a performance by the Seo and Kong sibling duo, a counseling performance by actress Hwang Mi-young, and a stage by vocalist Woo Yun-je. At the Mind Waiting Room's participatory art wall, citizens expressed their emotions and thoughts, while a healing zone operated as a relaxation space.

Read the original (Korean)