Seoul Design
International Forum
서울디자인국제포럼

Visiting “Maeum Maru,” a Healing Space for Single-Person Households

Hello! We are the 2025 Seoul Design International Forum Supporters. This time, I’d like to share my visit to a public design facility in Seoul and introduce it to you. Today, in relation to Seoul’s design policy, I’ll be introducing the Dongdaemun-gu Family Center. The City of Seoul has been making various efforts through public design to improve citizens’ quality of life and strengthen the identity of local communities. In particular, the Dongdaemun-gu Family Center is an important facility operated as part of such policies.

Not Just a Smoking Booth? Seoul's Urban Public Design in Action at Cheongnyangni Station

Hello! I’m Yerim Ko, a supporter of the 2025 Seoul Design International Forum. Today, I’d like to share my visit to the newly installed Seoul-style smoking booth near Cheongnyangni Station. A smoking booth? Isn’t that just a place to smoke? Not at all! This is a thoughtfully designed space that reflects Seoul City’s efforts to address urban issues through design.

A Playground in the Heart of the City? Welcome to Seongsu 1 Play Park!

Hello! I'm Ssugo, and I’m excited to be part of the 2025 Seoul Design International Forum as a supporter. Today, I’ll be introducing a spot I recently explored—Seongsu 1 Play Park! Also known as Seongsu 1-ga Children’s Park, it’s just an 11-minute walk from Exit 2 of Seoul Forest Station, or you can take Bus 2224 from Exit 1 of Seongsu Station.

You Won’t Believe This Is in Seoul, Haneulhaneul & Welcome Pavilion

Hello! I’m Lia, and I’ve just joined as a supporter for the 2025 Seoul Design International Forum! Have you ever thought about how public design impacts our daily lives? In fact, public design goes far beyond simply creating a visually pleasing city. It plays a vital role in improving quality of life, strengthening community safety, and revitalizing local economies and culture.

Gray Construction Sites, Out! 'Attractive Fences' That Turn Seoul into an Open-Air Gallery

Hello! This is Nayoung Kwak, supporter of the 2025 Seoul Design International Forum! Have you ever walked past a construction site in Seoul and suddenly been drawn in by a beautifully designed barricade? The surprising star behind this transformation of dull and drab construction sites is Seoul’s very own “Attractive Fences”! Today, let’s explore what these Attractive Fences are, how they bring positive change to urban life, and where you can find these hidden design gems across the city.

Nature-Inspired Welcome Pavilion Debuts at Boramae Park for the Seoul International Garden Show

- The Welcome Pavilion, designed as a symbolic icon of the Seoul International Garden Show, now marks the main entrance of Boramae Park. - It functions as a central hub that integrates rest areas, exhibitions, and interactive experiences, and will later serve as a participatory public space. - Together with the “Haneul-Haneul” rest installation, it is expected to enhance the overall appeal of the Garden Show to citizens. - Starting this year, a newly designed Pavilion will be introduced annually as a signature feature of the Garden Show.

Seoul Unveils Three Urban-Friendly Smoking Booth Designs Centered on Public Consideration

- The Seoul Metropolitan Government has unveiled three “Seoul-style Smoking Booth” designs to address social conflict and visual disorder caused by unregulated smoking in urban areas. - The booths are available in three types—Open, Semi-Open, and Enclosed—based on citizen feedback and expert consultation, balancing public utility and functional efficiency. - A pilot installation will begin on April 26 at Cheongnyangni Station Square, with official design guidelines to be distributed in May for adoption by local districts and private facilities. - This initiative aims to safeguard public health, enhance the city's aesthetic quality, and improve the overall street environment through thoughtful public design.

Seoul to Promote Nationwide Collaboration with Metropolitan Governments through Design

- Seoul to provide its design development expertise and outputs to metropolitan governments across Korea - Support initiatives include matching design advisory groups, participation in development processes, provision of iF Design Award-winning "Fun Design Chairs," and joint project development - Applications open until Friday, May 16th, 2025 - Initiative aims to promote a governance model for the social co-utilization of Seoul’s design assets

Seoul Expands Its "Design Companionship" Initiative to Other Metropolitan Cities

- On March 27th (Thursday), Seoul signed an agreement with Busan, launching intercity collaboration through the "Design Seoul" initiative. - The two cities will share accumulated design assets, capabilities, and policies to seek solutions to urban challenges through design. -A joint workshop will be held in Busan from March 27th to 28th, featuring expert presentations, keynote lectures, and participation by public officials. - "Through continued exchange and cooperation with Busan, we will lead innovation in urban design," Seoul city officials stated.

Seoul Launches Unified Public Transportation Brand ‘GO SEOUL’ - Set to Become an Icon of the City

- Applicable to four modes of transportation covered by the Climate Companion Card: buses, subways, public bikes (Ddareungi), and Han River buses - ‘GO’ combined with the infinity symbol (∞) symbolizes the endlessly connected and evolving nature of Seoul’s transport - Expected to serve both as a symbol of convenience for citizens and a representative icon of the city, akin to the London Roundel - Mayor Oh: “GO SEOUL will play a key role in enhancing Seoul’s design-driven identity and global competitiveness.”

[Panel Discussion 2] Designing for a sustainable future

[Chair] Welcome everyone. Today's session topic is 'Design for the Future.' The presentations we've heard from our speakers have been very insightful, covering various aspects that affect both our current lives and future existence. In this panel discussion, we would like to discuss with our session speakers and panelists how various digital innovation technologies, including artificial intelligence, are impacting our public services and product design. Furthermore, we'd like to exchange views on how these changes will guide urban life and our daily existence.

[Session 2] The Convergence of AI and Design: Organizational Culture, Personalization, and Ethical Leadership

[Kaya Kim] Hello, I'm Kaya Kim, Senior Specialist at Design Center of LG Electronics. Today, I'd like to talk about AI and design from a different perspective than the public or academia, from the perspective of working in a company looking at products and markets.

[Session 2] Designing for Transition: Transforming Design(ers) for a Sustainable Future

[Jeffrey T.K. Valino Koh] I'm Dr. Jeffrey Koh, an Associate Professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology, where I lead the Design Factory, part of a global network. South Korea is fortunate to have two design factories. I'm also co-owner of Chemistry, a design consultancy with offices in Singapore, Amsterdam, and London. We've been operating for about 23 years, specializing in service design, experience design, and planet-centered, regenerative, and circular economy design.

[Keynote Session 2] Service Design for the Desirable Cities – Smart Living through Design

[Birgit Mager] What Makes Cities Desirable? When we consider desirable cities, urban design and aesthetics - which we discussed extensively in the morning session - are crucial elements. This includes architecture, planning, public spaces, and historic preservation. However, these aspects alone don't complete the picture. A truly desirable city encompasses multiple dimensions. We must consider livability, economic opportunity, and sustainability. Infrastructure and mobility play vital roles, alongside community and social cohesion. Culture and lifestyle shape the city's character, while education and innovation drive its future. Resilience ensures its longevity, and governance and leadership guide its development. All these aspects can be addressed through design, particularly service design - a field I began teaching in 1995 when it was entirely new. Over the past 30 years, I've had the privilege of experimenting with, framing, and expanding this field until it became what we might call "the new normal" in many organizations and governments worldwide.

[Panel Discussion 1] Empowering Global Design Capabilities through Urban Initiatives

[Chair] We have arranged this special gathering today to highlight DDP's contributions in leading global design culture, strengthening industrial competitiveness, and spreading design values. We are honored to have Mr. Craig Kiner, Mr. Junggi Sung, Mr. Sang Lee, Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, and Curator Dahyoung Chung join us for an in-depth discussion about balance, universality, and public nature in urban design. This session will serve as a cultural forum to examine how design thinking outcomes influence our city's competitiveness and policy development. Today's discussion will particularly focus on the philosophy and culture inherent in design, inclusive design, accessibility, and non-discriminatory design, along with their contexts, experiences, and creativity.

[Session 1] Invisible Landmark

[Chris van Duijn] Returning from AI to Human Intelligence Good afternoon. After artificial intelligence, back to human intelligence. Feeling like going back in time a bit perhaps. It's a bit of a mashup of the last subject that Professor Dr. Zec kind of was talking about: existing and new. It's about the landmark that Craig explained in detail, but also, it's about human connection.

[Session 1] City, Design and AI

[Sang Lee] Today's presentation topic is 'Urban Design and Artificial Intelligence'. Since it's not too difficult a topic, I hope you can listen comfortably. I am currently a Creative Director at TikTok, working on AI system implementation. Before that, I was a Design Director at Google, and prior to that, I was the head of C+ AI Plon Studio at Microsoft. Before that, I worked at LYIN Digital. This year, I wrote a book called 'AI Works, Humans Grow' which fortunately became a bestseller. Thank you.

[Session 1] Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Fashion and Future

[Craig Kiner] Urban Development and Architectural Challenge Ladies and gentlemen and distinguished guests, it's a real pleasure to be back in Seoul and at Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Like Mayor Oh mentioned before, there are a lot of memories of this place, from the beginning back in 2008 to the grand opening in 2014 — and even the groundbreaking four years before that. Thank you for the invitation to attend the Seoul Design International Forum. On behalf of Dr. Schumacher and myself, I'd like to thank Mayor Oh for his vision, leadership, and ambition in supporting us at ZHA Architects and the DDP project — a design that was unfamiliar and perhaps a little alien, an extraordinary challenge for the city. As we are all aware, DDP was conceived to commemorate Seoul as the World Design Capital in 2010 — 14 years passed — and today we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the building’s opening. We’d also like to offer thanks to the competition jury for their courage and resolve throughout the process, for selecting the design of the metonymic landscape, and to all of our partners and consultants in London and Seoul, including SAMOO Architects and Engineers, ZHA, as well as all of the dedicated construction teams whose efforts played a critical role in delivering the project.