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Busan Metropolitan City to Host the 2025 World City Brand Forum: Presenting Future Visions of Culture, Space, and Design

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will host the “2025 World City Brand Forum (WCBF)” at the BEXCO Convention Hall over two days, from September 24 to 25, under the theme “City Identity through Local Culture and Space: Present and Future.”

Now in its third year since launching in 2023, the World City Brand Forum has developed into an international venue where domestic and international experts in city branding and marketing share visions and strategies to enhance urban competitiveness.

This year’s forum will be held in connection with Busan’s representative autumn festival, “Festival October,” as an open event in which citizens can directly participate and enjoy.

Whereas past editions focused primarily on overall direction and identity in city branding, this year’s discussions will address concrete strategies—such as space and design, and festivals and cultural content—through which citizens can experience and appreciate city branding in daily life.

Additionally, a pre-event program has been newly introduced, extending the forum across two days and broadening participation and discussions beyond experts to include students and citizens.

The pre-event (September 24) will be held under the theme “Becoming Urban Space: Brands Completed through Experience,” featuring special lectures and a general discussion.

• ●John K. Kao (Lead Urban Specialist, World Bank), Kim Hyun-seon (President, Korea Federation of Design Associations), Masayuki Sasaki (Professor Emeritus, Osaka City University), and Woo Shin-gu (Chief Architect of Busan) will deliver lectures offering diverse perspectives on the formation of space and city identity.

• ●In the ensuing general discussion, moderated by Woo Shin-gu, speakers will share insights on “Human-Centered Urban Design and City Branding through Memory and Care.”

The main event (September 25) will focus on “Becoming Urban Content: The Power of Culture and Festivals.”

• ●Former Austin Mayor Steve Adler will deliver the keynote address on “Using City Identity as a Core Economic Strategy,” presenting how culture and urban identity can drive economic development.

• ●Tony Langcaster, CEO of the Edinburgh Fringe Society, will speak on “Factors for the Success of Cities and Festivals and Their Lasting Impacts.”

• ●Chong Zhou, founder of ArTy ReTro, will lecture on the theme “Wherever I Go, It Is Always the Path for Art. Art Is the City’s Greatest Brand.”

• ●Kim Hong-gi, CEO of Space Oddity, will share strategies on how Busan can leverage K-pop and fandom in the era of Hallyu 4.0.

Following the presentations, a general discussion chaired by Na Gun, Chief Designer of Busan, will explore Busan’s development strategies based on World Design Capital (WDC) and cultural content.

Of particular note, Mayor Park Heong-joon will participate as a keynote speaker to present his vision for “Busan’s Future Connected through Culture, Space, and Design.”

Mayor Park will emphasize Busan’s international standing by introducing achievements such as hosting Korea’s first UNESCO World Heritage Committee session, while outlining visions such as the city’s 2028 World Design Capital designation and strategies to build Busan into an “inclusive design city.”

Mayor Park stated, “Busan is pioneering a new path in city branding by adding unique culture and design to its exceptional natural assets of sea, mountains, and rivers. The designation of Busan as World Design Capital 2028 will be an important milestone in realizing this vision. I expect this forum to become the starting point for sharing Busan’s future strategies with the world and for creating a new model of city branding that integrates culture, space, and design.”