Hello everyone! Today, I'm going to introduce you to the Seoul Youth Culture Pass. The Seoul Youth Culture Pass is a program that provides 200,000 won in support for attending performances for young people aged 19 to 22. Some of you may have already applied for the 2023 program, while others may not have. However, I wanted to bring this to you because it could be helpful for those who haven't booked tickets for a performance yet, or for those who will be participating in the next program. For your information, the application period for the 2024 Seoul Youth Culture Pass is expected to be held in March-April!

The Seoul Youth Culture Pass is ‘a program that provides 200,000 won in support for attending theater, musicals, dance, classical music/opera, and Korean traditional music performances for young people aged 19 to 22 who are taking their first steps into society.’ Originally, the program was intended for those born in 2004, who had just turned twenty. However, the program has been expanded to include **those born between 2001 and 2004 (those born between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2004)**, both Korean and foreign youth living in Seoul (*who are below the 150% median income*). In my case, I wanted to enjoy a variety of cultural activities after becoming an adult, but it felt like a financial burden. This time, it was great to be able to experience various performances like plays and musicals! So, let's find out how the Seoul Youth Culture Pass works?

Points to note

First, there are a few things to keep in mind. (Based on the 2023 program, changes may occur in 2024.)

First, you need to get your Seoul Youth Culture Pass card issued. Once you are selected as a participant, you can get your card issued through the link that will be sent to you via text message. You will be given 200,000 points on this card, so you must get it issued in order to make reservations! Please keep this in mind!

Second, you can use a maximum of 70,000 points per transaction. You can also make reservations for performances that cost more than 70,000 won. In this case, you can pay the difference with the money in your account. For example, if you book a 100,000 won performance, 70,000 won will be deducted from your points and 30,000 won will be deducted from your Shinhan Bank account. Of course, you need to have money pre-loaded in your account beforehand, right? 🙂

Third, you can only book musicals once during the point usage period. The Seoul Youth Culture Pass is a program that promotes opportunities for diverse cultural enjoyment and revitalizes the arts and culture sector, so they have imposed a limit on the number of reservations to prevent overuse of a specific genre. Please keep this in mind when booking musicals.

Finally, the most important thing is the usage period. Participants in the 2023 program were originally supposed to use all their points by December 2023, but the usage period has been extended to March 2024. If you haven't used all your points yet, you need to make a reservation before March 31st, so make a reservation in advance! Now, let's find out how to make reservations for performances?

How to book performances

First, go to the Seoul Youth Culture Pass website. Click on ‘Performance/Exhibition Reservations’ at the top. You can then select from the various categories of theater, musicals, classical music/opera, ballet/dance, Korean traditional music, and exhibitions. For example, I will show you how to make a reservation for the ‘Lee Kyung-joon Photo Exhibition: One Step Away’ exhibition. Click on ‘Details’ to see the exhibition details, and click on ‘Book with Points’ to make a reservation.

When you click the ‘Book with Points’ button, a screen like this will appear. Select the ticket price and enter the booking information. Occasionally, there are special discounts for Seoul Youth Pass card holders, so be sure to check them out before selecting the price!

Because you are booking through the Seoul Youth Culture Pass, the payment method is set to credit card - Shinhan Card. You don't need to change anything; just agree and click ‘Pay’ and you're almost there!

Finally, you just need to make the payment. I used the app payment. I was a bit nervous about whether the points would be deducted correctly until the end, but it went through just fine ㅎㅎ When the payment is complete, a page will appear confirming the completion. Make sure to check your reservation details.

Seoul Youth Culture Pass Review

Finally, I want to share my personal experience using the Seoul Youth Culture Pass. I saw the play <2nd Floor Tenant> in December and I’m planning to see the musical and the exhibition ‘Lee Kyung-joon Photo Exhibition: One Step Away’ in the future. First, <2nd Floor Tenant> is currently running as an open run. It seems to have established itself as a representative play in Hyehwa. When I went to see it, it was a Christmas Eve performance, so the audience was enthusiastic, and the story and the actors’ performances were solid, so I couldn't stop watching. It's a great play that delivers both laughter and emotion, so I recommend it to those who are wondering what to see.

And the musical , which I will be seeing soon, is the one I've been looking forward to the most. I booked it as soon as the licensed musical tickets became available in January. It was an S-seat, and the total cost was 112,000 won including fees, but I used 70,000 points and was able to see the work I've always wanted to see for only 42,000 won. Even though I wanted to see a musical, the high ticket prices always made me hesitate. Thanks to the Seoul Youth Culture Pass, I was able to enjoy cultural activities without any regrets ㅎㅎ

So, what do you think of the Seoul Youth Culture Pass? I think it's a great opportunity for young people who are just starting out in society to enjoy cultural activities. New performance and exhibition tickets are released periodically, so I recommend booking tickets in advance if you find a performance you like. If you are eligible for the program but haven't participated yet, I encourage you to try it out this year! I've left the Instagram and website addresses of the Seoul Youth Pass where you can get the latest news as quickly as possible, so hopefully this will be helpful. Thank you for reading as always! :)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youthcultureseoul

Homepage: https://www.youthcultureseoul.kr/