MINDSOS Turns Gwanghwamun into "Street of the Mind"... Mental Health Pop-up "Mind ON STREET" Concludes Successfully

MINDSOS Dance Crew Presents "Emotional Recovery" Performance with Lia Kim, Harimu, and 1MILLION
Transforming Urban Mental Health Awareness Through Emotional Assessment, Artistic Experiences, and Interactive Content

MindfulConnect

MindfulConnect, a mental health social impact company led by CEO Ryu Hyewon, successfully concluded the citizen-participatory mental health pop-up event, "Mind ON STREET," held around Gwanghwamun on November 22-23 in collaboration with its campaign brand MINDSOS. The project was designed in response to the growing public interest in mental health, while recognizing that many citizens still find it difficult to express their emotions or seek psychological support. The main focus was to create a space in the heart of the city where anyone could naturally reflect on and express their feelings.

The color psychology test, which visualized individuals’ emotions, needs, and inner states through colors, received the most enthusiastic response at the event. Professional counselors provided on-the-spot emotional interpretation, offering practical support for improving emotional awareness and verbalizing feelings. Additionally, the emotion-based DIY program, where participants wrote comforting messages and turned them into personalized keyrings, was warmly received as an experience of "cheering for oneself," creating a positive atmosphere at the venue.

The "Message Wall" installed in the plaza quickly filled with encouraging phrases from citizens of all generations. Each small message expanded into a collective emotional narrative, transforming the meaning of Gwanghwamun Square into a new space for an "emotional community." One citizen shared, "Reading someone else’s message comforted me and reminded me that I am not alone," adding, "It was impressive to see such a psychological space open up in everyday life."

MindfulConnect

Special performances that combined culture and art also drew attention. On the 22nd, the band MENANDTHEM’s busking performance set a comforting mood, followed by the MINDSOS dance crew’s "Emotional Recovery Performance" featuring Lia Kim, Harimu, and 1MILLION on the 23rd, which energized the plaza. The stage, conveying a message of "courage and recovery through dance," received enthusiastic applause from citizens at the event.

The reactions of the dance crew participants were also noteworthy. One participant said, "After living with a work-centered focus for so long, taking a month to pause and immerse myself in dance was a major turning point," adding, "When I dance, my psychosomatic symptoms disappear, and I truly feel my mind recover when I do what I love." Another participant shared, "It was comforting to realize that even people who appear cheerful have their own struggles," and "Moving together and supporting each other brought emotional stability and recovery."

MindfulConnect stated that the pop-up event confirmed a shift in citizens’ perceptions, with mental health being accepted more naturally and as an everyday topic. As messages and experiences were shared, individual challenges became part of a collective understanding, marking "the first scene of a recovery ecosystem in the city."

This pop-up is not a one-time event but is expected to expand into a sustainable mental health project under MINDSOS, serving as a starting point for various activities such as counseling programs, emotional education, and community-based campaigns. CEO Ryu Hyewon of MindfulConnect said, "Mental health is not a topic to be discussed only in times of crisis, but a value that must be consistently cared for in daily life," and added, "We will expand programs centered around MINDSOS to help citizens with self-understanding and emotional recovery, building a mental health ecosystem for Korean society."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.