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Creating a Design Capital Together with Citizens: Official Launch of the “2028 World Design Capital Busan Organizing Committee”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the launch ceremony of the “2028 World Design Capital Busan Organizing Committee” will be held today (October 30) at 2 p.m. in the Conference Hall of the Busan Port International Convention Center (BPEX). The event marks a new step forward for Busan’s leap toward becoming a “Design City for All.”

Attending the ceremony will be Mayor Park Heong-joon; Ahn Seong-min, Chair of the Busan Metropolitan Council; Kim Seok-joon, Superintendent of the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education; Yang Jae-saeng, Chairman of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry; representatives from the regional business community; the heads of 16 districts and counties; design industry figures; university design students; and members of the Future Busan Design Group — totaling about 400 participants.

This launch ceremony is the first official event since Busan’s designation as the 2028 World Design Capital (WDC), signaling the start of a full-scale operational framework. It has been organized as a venue for cooperation among citizens, government, industry, and academia.

The event will feature:

• ●Greetings by the Co-Chairs of the Organizing Committee

• ●Congratulatory remarks

• ●Introduction of the committee’s formation story

• ●Presentation of appointment certificates to citizen representatives of the Future Busan Design Group

• ●And a “Design Declaration” ceremony involving the Mayor and heads of the 16 districts and counties.

In particular, during the “Design Declaration”, the Mayor and district heads will jointly proclaim the vision of “Busan, a Design City for All,” symbolically sharing this commitment with citizens.

To celebrate the occasion, six universities in Busan — Kosin University, Dongseo University, Dong-A University, Pukyong National University, Pusan National University, and Kyungsung University — along with Big Shop, will hold an exhibition featuring 14 works by local young designers.

The Organizing Committee will be co-chaired by Mayor Park Heong-joon and Hong Young-cheol, Chairman of KISCO, and will consist of up to 30 members representing the city, public institutions, businesses, citizens, and design experts.
Serving as the control tower for the 2028 World Design Capital Busan project, the committee will play a central role in realizing the city’s design vision.

During the ceremony, appointment certificates will also be presented to four representatives of the Future Busan Design Group.
This group represents a citizen-led creative and innovative community that promotes sustainable urban development and spreads design culture. It includes 360 selected participants across five fields: Kids Design Lab, Young Wave Design Group, Universal Design Group, Senior Design Group, and WDC Promotion Group.

Members will take part in a variety of activities, such as:

• ●Proposing design-related policies and programs

• ●Participating in design campaigns

• ●And promoting the 2028 World Design Capital Busan both online and offline.

In addition, the Corporate Advisory Group and Design Industry Advisory Group will use their on-site experience to help businesses act as partners in policy development, driving innovation and growth in the design industry.

Starting with this launch ceremony, Busan will cooperate with the World Design Organization (WDO) to implement seven mandatory programs and locally tailored initiatives between 2026 and 2028. The city also plans to roll out citizen-participatory design projects across the entire city.

Together with WDO, Busan will host a variety of official international events that showcase its growing status as a global design city.
From the World Design Capital Agreement Ceremony in March 2026 to the official WDC programs in 2028 — including the World Design Street Festival, World Design Spotlight, World Design Experience, World Design Policy Conference, World Design Cities Network Meeting, and the WDC Handover Ceremony — the entire city will transform into a vibrant global stage for design.

Mayor Park stated,
“The designation of Busan as the 2028 World Design Capital is not merely a title — it marks the beginning of a transformative journey for the city’s future. Through design, we will enrich citizens’ lives and happiness, elevate the dignity of the city, and advance toward an inclusive and participatory design city together with all citizens.”

He added,
“By fostering a global ecosystem of design collaboration centered on this Organizing Committee — with active participation from citizens, businesses, and experts — Busan will grow into a ‘Design Capital that the World Pays Attention To.’”