Announcement of the K-Architecture Culture Comprehensive Support Plan
Strengthening Benefits for International Design Competitions
Expanding Market Participation Opportunities for Emerging Architects
Fostering a Culture of Respect, Including the Real-Name System for Designers
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is taking steps to foster outstanding domestic architects. By expanding opportunities for emerging architects to participate in the market and providing access to large-scale projects, the city aims to serve as a springboard for their entry onto the global stage. The goal is to nurture highly capable architects and thereby strengthen Seoul's urban competitiveness.
On June 24, the city announced the "K-Architecture Culture Comprehensive Support Plan," which centers on nurturing domestic architectural talent. The plan includes a total of 11 initiatives across four areas: expanding opportunities for domestic project participation and supporting overseas advancement; establishing a new International Urban Space Design Award; discovering and supporting innovative architects; and fostering a culture that honors architects. The city will focus on these initiatives through 2030.
The K-Architecture Culture Comprehensive Support Plan was developed as part of Seoul Mayor Oh Sehun's "Architectural Journey," which has been ongoing for the past two months. Since May, Mayor Oh has been visiting public and private buildings responsible for the city's urban landscape, listening to voices from the field to promote the development of Korea's architecture industry. Through this plan, the city aims to provide practical support that architects can tangibly experience.
Expanding Domestic Project Participation for Architects... Supporting Overseas Advancement
First, the city will significantly expand opportunities for architects to participate in large-scale domestic projects. Additionally, it will support their entry into overseas markets. Specifically, the city plans to maximize the participation rate of domestic architects in international design competitions. This decision reflects feedback from the field that, due to the increasing selection of foreign architects in large domestic projects and a growing preference for overseas architects, domestic architects are losing ground.
The competition prize money will also be increased from the previous maximum of 100 million won to 300 million won. Architects selected through competitions will receive expanded support, including domestic and international exhibitions, promotional activities, and collaboration in public projects.
The city will also directly promote the capabilities of domestic architects. At international events such as the Venice Architecture Biennale, known as the "Olympics of the art world," and the International Union of Architects (UIA) World Congress, the city plans to operate a "K-Architecture Promotion Pavilion" to introduce Korean architects to the world.
The city will expand architectural and cultural exchanges with major overseas cities. Recently, Seoul signed Letters of Intent (LOI) for cooperation in the field of urban architecture with 11 embassies and cultural centers from 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and Switzerland, for the Seoul Biennale. Going forward, the city plans to expand cooperation with two to three international cities each year to introduce works by Korean architects to the global stage. This year, Seoul will sign agreements with major overseas architectural exhibition halls such as the Paris CITE, Frankfurt DAM, and Montreal CCA, in addition to the Seoul Urban Architecture Exhibition Hall, and will promote touring exhibitions.
Establishing a Prestigious International Urban Space Design Award... Expanding Market Opportunities for Emerging Architects
The city will also establish the tentatively named "Seoul International Urban Space Design Award," a new award of international prestige in the field of architecture. This award will recognize innovative urban spaces that reflect international agendas in various areas such as cities, architecture, and landscapes. Winners will be selected through a systematic review by renowned international judges, with the first award to be announced in 2027. The award will be presented every two years.
To discover the next generation of architects, the existing Seoul Architecture Awards will introduce a new "Emerging Architect Award" category starting next month. The Seoul Architecture Awards recognize not only architects but also building owners who embrace excellent design and builders who deliver high-quality construction.
Emerging architects will be given opportunities to participate in the market to support their growth. Currently, small-scale architectural firms with fewer than five employees account for 87.5% of the domestic architecture market. However, large-scale projects are often carried out in collaboration with renowned foreign architects, making it difficult for smaller firms to participate in competitions.
To address this, the city will introduce an evaluation system that focuses on competence and creativity, thereby broadening the scope of competition opportunities. The city will expand the "two-stage competition" system, which initially selects participants based solely on their design proposals. Architects who pass the first round of idea screening will undergo a second evaluation based on their architectural and spatial environment designs. The city will also increase the use of "digital competition reviews," where the design competition process is conducted digitally. This is expected to help small and medium-sized architects reduce costs and save time.
The city will also increase opportunities for participation in public projects. Winners of architectural awards will be nominated for high-priority projects through public architectural reviews (one to two projects per year), and opportunities will be provided to participate in city-led projects such as public wedding halls and Seoul-style kids' cafes (20 projects per year), supporting architects' professional development.
Furthermore, the scope of contracts for implementing design intent will be expanded. Previously, such contracts, which are intended to prevent the compromise of design intent due to budget constraints, were limited to projects with design fees of 100 million won or more. Under the new comprehensive support plan, these contracts will be extended to all public buildings. In addition, the city will improve administrative procedures by verifying compensation during public building reviews and confirming contracts upon construction commencement to ensure reasonable payment.
Pursuing a Special Act for Design Innovation... Providing Administrative and Financial Support
The city will also strengthen administrative and financial support to boost architects' morale. By improving unnecessary regulations, the city aims to enhance architects' capabilities.
First, the city will foster a culture that respects architects by implementing a real-name system and inviting designers to groundbreaking and completion ceremonies. The city will also support emerging architects by providing shared office spaces in unused public facilities. Additionally, the city will actively pursue practical financial support, such as updating compensation standards and revising laws to reduce property taxes on outstanding buildings.
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehun is listening to architect Kim Chanjung's explanation about the building at the Uran Cultural Foundation on the 19th of last month. Photo by Seoul City
To enable architects to realize creative designs, the city will pursue the enactment of a special law for government and urban architectural design innovation. The city will also provide institutional support to help architects demonstrate their capabilities by easing regulations, preventing design distortion through integrated reviews, and shortening project timelines. To enhance the effectiveness of these measures, the city plans to form an official consultative body with seven architecture-related organizations.
Mayor Oh stated, "The core of this initiative is to lay the foundation for K-Architecture to shine on the world stage," adding, "Seoul will serve as a test bed and platform for emerging architects to realize their potential and creativity." He emphasized, "We will provide focused support for architects so that K-Architecture can continue the legacy of the 'K' brand, which represents Korea."
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