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Global Designers Gather in Busan: Busan to Host International Conference for World Design Capital Busan 2028

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will host the “World Design Capital Busan 2028 International Conference” today (24th) at 2:00 p.m. at the Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center to share the vision and implementation direction of “World Design Capital (WDC) Busan 2028” with domestic and international audiences and to strengthen the foundation for global cooperation.

The event is jointly hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and The Chosun Ilbo, and co-organized by The Chosun Ilbo and Dongseo University.

This international conference is organized under the theme “Resilient & Connected by Design,” providing a platform for domestic and international experts to discuss the role of design and policy directions in addressing urban challenges.

Key speakers will include a former president of the World Design Organization (WDO), CEOs of global design companies, and presidents of overseas universities, who will share insights on the potential integration of urban strategies and design.

Approximately 200 participants, including Mayor Park Heong-joon, domestic and international speakers, design professionals, professors, university students, and citizens, are expected to attend. In addition, a large number of applicants participated in the pre-registration held from February 27 to March 21, demonstrating strong interest and anticipation for the conference and its global speakers.

The event will consist of an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, thematic presentations, panel discussions, and specialized sessions, offering a multifaceted exploration of the relationship between cities and design.

In the keynote session, Thomas Garvey (former President of the World Design Organization) will speak on “Urban Design with Resilience and Connectivity,” Luo Yongchi (President of Shanghai University of Engineering Science) will present on “A Design-Based Social Innovation Ecosystem,” and Timothy Jacob Jensen (CEO and Chief Designer) will address “Value-Oriented Design and National Competitiveness.”

Subsequent presentations and discussions will feature Jang Dong-seon, a neuroscientist, Professor Kim Ju-yeon, Chief Public Designer of Seoul, and Ahn Ji-yong, head of a spatial design firm, who will discuss solutions to urban challenges from a multidisciplinary perspective.

In the specialized sessions, Wang Tan, Vice President of XPeng AeroHT and a leader in the emerging flying car industry, and Miyuki Okumura, the designer of the globally recognized character “Cinnamoroll,” will share diverse case studies from industrial and cultural fields.

This event is designed not only as an academic forum but also as a collaborative platform to establish the implementation foundation for World Design Capital Busan 2028. It is also significant in expanding industry–academia–research collaboration through its linkage with Dongseo University’s Regional Innovation System & Education (RISE) project.

The conference will further refine policy directions centered on urban resilience through design, improvement of quality of life, and sustainable urban strategies.

The entire event will be live-streamed online via the official website of the World Design Capital Busan 2028 International Conference (http://wdcbusan2028.com) and on-site streaming, thereby expanding citizen participation.

On the day following the conference, a “Design Spot Tour” will be conducted, where domestic and international speakers will visit key design sites in Busan to share examples of urban design policies.

Through this, participants are expected to experience Busan’s design capabilities firsthand and strengthen cooperative networks.

Busan Metropolitan City anticipates various outcomes from this international conference, including enhancing the global standing of World Design Capital Busan, expanding the city’s brand value, building networks among domestic and international experts, and broadening the foundation for citizen participation.

Meanwhile, the city has designated March 23 to March 28 as “World Design Capital Busan 2028 Design Week” and plans to operate citizen-participatory programs.

In particular, on March 26, the “World Design Capital Busan 2028 Citizen Engagement Lounge” event and a launch event commemorating the opening of the official Instagram account will be held at the City Hall lobby and Domoheon.

The official Instagram account for “World Design Capital Busan 2028” can be found at worlddesigncapitalbusan2028.

At the event venue, a citizen participation event will also be held, where visitors who follow the official Instagram account will receive a keycap keyring engraved with “WDC Busan 2028.”

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “This international conference marks an important starting point for exploring the direction that World Design Capital Busan should take together with domestic and international experts,” adding, “We will do our utmost to transform citizens’ lives through design and enable Busan to leap forward as a global design city.”