Busan Named World Design Capital... Selected as 2028 WDC

Surpassing Hangzhou, China as a Competitor
Enhanced Citizen Participation and Policy Implementation Capabilities
"A Leap Toward Becoming a Global Design Hub"

Busan has been officially selected as the '2028 World Design Capital (WDC)' by the World Design Organization (WDO).

The Busan Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Heongjoon) announced on the 22nd that Busan has been chosen as the 11th World Design Capital, surpassing Hangzhou, China. This marks the second time a Korean city has received this honor, following Seoul in 2010.

This event is part of the World Design Capital program, in which the international design organization WDO designates a city every two years that achieves economic, social, cultural, and environmental development through design.

During the selection process, the city promoted a citizen participation-based service design model under the theme "Inclusive City, Engaged Design." Last June, the WDO inspection team visited sites such as Berryberrygood Bongsan Village in Yeongdo, Dongseo University, the Bukhang area, and F1963, where they observed citizen-led design initiatives and various cases of integrated design approaches in urban policy.

The city analyzed that Busan's policy implementation capabilities, design culture, and citizen participation base received high praise from the international community.

The World Design Organization stated, "Busan has great potential for urban transformation through design culture, and its indicator-based regional analysis and improvement methods can serve as a model for the international community. We hope Busan will exert a meaningful global influence."

The official designation will be announced at the 34th World Design Congress, to be held in London, United Kingdom, this September. The city, together with the Busan Design Promotion Agency, plans to establish a World Design Capital implementation system and begin full-scale program planning and execution preparations.

Mayor Park Heongjoon emphasized, "This selection is the result of collaborative urban design by citizens and represents a decisive turning point for Busan to become a global design city. Design is not just about changing the city's appearance; it is about redesigning the way citizens live. Through the entire preparation process, we will share Busan's vision with the world."