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“SIGN EXPO BUSAN 2026” Opens September 16… Signage That Transforms the Face of Busan!

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that SIGN EXPO BUSAN 2026 will be held for five days from September 16 to 20 at Dasom Hall in Busan Citizens Park.

Co-hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Outdoor Advertising Association, the event marks its 24th edition this year and is designed to provide an opportunity for citizens to reflect on and share the value of outdoor advertising encountered in everyday life.

The opening ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. on September 16 at Dasom Hall in Busan Citizens Park, with approximately 100 attendees expected, including outdoor advertising professionals, students in related academic programs, and award recipients.

The ceremony will include the presentation of awards for the 2026 Busan Outdoor Advertising Awards Competition and recognition of exemplary businesses for producing attractive signage.

This year’s Busan Outdoor Advertising Awards Competition was organized to identify design ideas that help establish a culture of attractive outdoor advertising and improve the urban landscape, with winning entries selected in each category.

The grand prize in the Creative Model Advertisement category went to “Eolssu,” created by Park Myeong-sik. Inspired by the National Gugak Center, the work expresses a distinctively Korean sensibility through “Eolssu” calligraphy and sculptural aesthetics, harmoniously combining tradition with the functional qualities of outdoor advertising.

The grand prize in the Creative Design category went to “Onsaemiro,” created by Hong Ga-hee and Jang Ye-dam. Drawing on the meaning of the native Korean word denoting something in its natural, unaltered state, the design uses traditional motifs such as lotus flowers, stone walls, curves, and seal impressions to convey an environmentally friendly brand image.

The grand prize in the Drawing Attractive Signs in Our Neighborhood category went to “Uttuk Chicken,” created by Choi Ye-seong. The work vividly portrays a neighborhood scene from a child’s perspective, featuring cars traveling along a winding road, airplanes flying overhead, and hot-air balloons in the sky.

The grand prize in the Attractive Sign category went to “NYU.MI,” created by Heo Tae-seon. The work reflects the distinctive character of Mipo in Busan through imagery of “waves” and “travel,” expressing both the sense of place unique to the area and the individuality of the business.

The award-winning entries will be on display at Dasom Gallery in Busan Citizens Park from September 16 to 20.

This year, a special themed exhibition tracing the evolution of signage will also be presented, allowing visitors to see at a glance how signs have changed over time and how trends in urban design have developed.

Integrated training for outdoor advertising professionals will also be provided, creating a forum for communication aimed not only at fostering creative design but also at promoting a safe and responsible outdoor advertising culture.

Moon Jeong-ju, head of the Future Design Headquarters of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “Signs are one of the forms of urban design that citizens encounter most closely in their daily lives. Through SIGN EXPO BUSAN 2026, we hope to broaden public understanding that a single well-designed sign can change the impression of a city and make this event an opportunity for a creative and attractive outdoor advertising culture to spread throughout Busan.”