SEOUL, KOREA- Design Korea 2013 is scheduled to be held at the Kimdaejung (KDJ) Convention Center in Gwangju over four days starting October 10.
In a press conference, held in the Gwanghwamun area on September 30, the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) said, “Design Korea 2013 is focused especially on business-oriented aspects, such as inviting international buyers from around the world, so as to help galvanize exports of K-Design products and overseas market entry by Korean companies.”
Marking its 11th year, Design Korea 2013, to be held under the theme “K-Design+ = New Changes Creating the Future,” will set out a vision for the future of K-Design by building on the progress achieved over the past decade.
The KIDP will invite nearly 60 buyers, both domestic and international, to Design Korea 2013 in a bid to hold trade consultation meetings aimed at matching participating companies with prospective buyers. Having conducted a 5-month preliminary demand survey of participating companies, the KIDP sent out invitations to a subset of handpicked international buyers, who, according to KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) and South Korean embassies in foreign nations, have a great interest in the South Korean market. By doing so, the KIDP looks to assist the companies participating in Design Korea 2013 substantially in making forays into overseas markets.
On top of that, adding another international dimension to Design Korea 2013, Asia Design Summit will be held on the sidelines of Design Korea 2013 for the first time. The 1st Asia Design Summit, to be attended by 10 heads of design promotion agencies in nine nations (including Japan and Australia) and 30 delegates, will set off a round of slide presentations and discussions on the subject of “Asia’s economic growth driven by enhanced economic values of creative industries.” With the aim of projecting host nation South Korea as a bona fide leader in the Asian design industry, the 1st Asia Design Summit will serve as a venue where participants can share their opinions on where the design industry of each nation stands at the moment and on desirable ways to achieve economic growth through design.
Lee Taeyong, the President of the KIDP, underlined that making the design industry serve as one of the props for the South Korean government’s creative economy policy requires drastic investment in the development of design technologies by the government. This will help to foster up-and-coming designers and brisk corporate investments. Pinning high hopes on Design Korea 2013, Lee Taeyong said, “As Design Korea 2012, held in Daegu last year, drew the largest turnout ever since the opening of EXCO (Daegu Exhibition & Convention Center in Daegu), Design Korea 2013, along with the 5th Gwangju Design Biennale which kicked off on September 6, will make great contributions to the revitalization of the Gwangju design industry and to the spread of design culture across the region.”
