The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation announced on the 16th that they held a completion ceremony for the "2025 Craft Professional Training" education program on December 5 at the College of Design at Kookmin University.
This initiative has been underway since 2018 with the aim of addressing the shortage of professionals in craft-related fields such as exhibition planning, education, and distribution. It also seeks to create jobs and promote the development of the craft culture industry by nurturing intermediary professionals.
This year's training, conducted in cooperation with the Kookmin University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, ran for about four months starting in September. The program was divided into practical and advanced courses across three fields: craft curators, craft educators, and craft merchandisers, resulting in six separate classes. A total of 84 participants completed the program, with 69 in the practical courses and 15 in the advanced courses.
About 100 people attended the ceremony, including graduates, instructors, and officials from the Korea Craft and Design Foundation. Certificates of completion were awarded, and nine outstanding planning proposals from the practical courses received recognition. Kookmin University Professor Emeritus Jeon Yongil delivered a special lecture, offering graduates insights into the future direction of the craft sector.
The KCDF Gallery is also showcasing the results of the advanced courses for craft curators and craft educators. The craft curator exhibition features "Object Poetry" by Team A.O.C, "Change Connected by Fingertips" by Cho Minyeol, and "Craft, Miscellaneous Stories" by Lee Eunseok.
The craft educator exhibition presents four educational proposals: "Woodworking Exploration Team" for elementary students by Kim Sora, "Little Forest Made of Glass" for adults by Song Hyewon, "A Party for Myself: Birthday Table Made with Ceramics" for seniors by Song Hyeeun, and "Blue and White Porcelain That Entered My Heart" for adults by Lee Hyeonji. These will be released to the public.
The results of the advanced course for craft merchandisers were exhibited from November 26 to 30 at Bukchon Sulwhasoo House. New products developed include "A Vessel Containing Time" by Kim Giseon, "HIP Tradition Jewelry" by Team Norik, "Our Unique Celebration Culture Object" by Son Danbi, and "Emotional Lighting Object" by Hwang Sujeong.
Jeon Juhui, Head of the Craft Promotion Division at the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, stated, "Professional intermediaries in the craft sector play a key role in connecting the craft culture industry with the market and the public. We will continue to support these trained professionals so they can make a tangible contribution to strengthening the competitiveness of the craft culture industry and expanding its audience base."
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