The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on October 22 that, together with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, it will host the 'Public Design Festival 2025' from October 24 to November 2 at 206 locations nationwide, including Gwangju.
This year marks the fourth edition of the event. Under the slogan 'Coexistence: Public Design for Tomorrow,' the festival will highlight the role of public design in responding to societal changes such as low birth rates, an aging population, and climate change, while fostering harmony and coexistence between generations.
The opening ceremony will be held on October 24 at Kosiety in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Fourteen works selected for the '2025 Korea Public Design Awards' will be recognized, and two local government officials chosen as 'Public Design Promotion Contributors' will be commended.
The Presidential Award for the 2025 Korea Public Design Awards will go to Seocho-gu, Seoul, for its public service initiative (Creating a New Smoking Culture with Technology and Design) aimed at coexistence between smokers and non-smokers, which has been implemented since 2022. The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award will be presented to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs for its 'First Time Wearing Liberation Campaign,' Naver Happybean for its 'Transparent OLED Donation Kiosk,' and the team behind 'Design Guidelines Considering Privacy and User Experience in Public Spaces.' From October 24 to 26 at Kosiety, this year's award-winning works will be exhibited alongside eight previous award-winning projects focused on children, highlighting the value of public design for future generations.
On October 28, the National Asia Culture Center will host a 'Public Design Forum' under the theme 'Public Design for Tomorrow.' Three international experts-including Andrew Knight, Head of Policy Design for the UK Government; Kari Korkman, founder of Helsinki Design Week; and Tim Tompkins, head of the Times Square Improvement Alliance in New York-will join 12 domestic experts to discuss the future direction of public design practices.
This year's designated regional cooperation city is Gwangju. Gwangju has consistently promoted public design projects that reflect its local identity, such as 'Gwangju Folly' and 'Byeolbam Art Museum,' striving to enhance both cultural public value and aesthetics.
Public design hubs include local governments, private companies, and organizations that have excellently implemented public design. A total of 206 locations will participate in this year's festival. Of these, 33 public design hubs will support programs such as hands-on activities, workshops, and exhibitions, allowing local residents to experience public design firsthand. Examples include the 'Color Universal Design Seminar' at the Hongseong County Welfare Center for the Disabled and Elderly, the 'Upcycling Workshop for Discarded Banners' at Cheongju Hyunsangui Gongganism, and the 'Wheat Exploration Team (From Garden to Table: Experiencing Sustainable Food Culture)' at the Daegu Namdaeyoung Memorial Hall.
At 10 'Miracle Libraries' across the country, public design experience events, exhibitions, and workshops will be held. Six universities (Kongju National University, Kwangwoon University, Hankyong National University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, and Hongik University) will participate in the 'Public Design Laboratory,' where they will experiment with ideas to solve everyday problems and share the results.
Detailed information about the Public Design Festival 2025 program can be found on the official website, where reservations for programs requiring advance booking can also be made.
Shin Eunhyang, Director of Arts Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Public design is an essential policy for responding to social change and creating a safe and convenient daily life. I hope this event will widely promote the value of public design and broaden public awareness."
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