Daejeon Design Promotion Agency Discusses Public Design Policy Directions Ahead of Administrative Integration

'Daejeon-South Chungcheong Design Joint Seminar' Held
Lee Changgi: "We Will Gradually Develop Collaborative Public Design Models"

Photo by Daejeon Design Promotion Agency

As discussions regarding the administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province become more concrete, an event was held to explore public design policies and directions for cooperation between the two regions.

The Daejeon Design Promotion Agency and the Chungnam Institute held the 'Daejeon-South Chungcheong Design Joint Seminar' on January 22 in the main conference room of the Chungnam Institute, where they discussed public design policy directions, the roles of each institution, and cooperation models in preparation for administrative integration.

In the keynote speech, Kim Jooyeon, Professor at Hongik University and Seoul Metropolitan Government's Chief Public Designer, stated, "Recently, the success or failure of urban policy depends less on efficiency and more on the quality of welcoming experiences it provides. In particular, cases that combine universal design with public service design show that design can reduce social costs and increase policy acceptance. Therefore, after administrative integration, design can offer practical solutions to ease issues related to expanded metropolitan mobility and living spheres that Daejeon and South Chungcheong will face."

Oh Byungchan, Director of the Public Design Center at the Chungnam Institute, said, "The center has enhanced policy effectiveness through public design research, design linked to living SOC (Social Overhead Capital), and resident participation-based design processes. This has created a structure that goes beyond simple landscape improvement to drive regional revitalization and increase resident satisfaction. Because administrative integration requires both metropolitan-level design standards and regionally tailored implementation, it must serve as a platform that connects policy experimentation and dissemination."

Park Sihyun, Head of Regional Growth at the Daejeon Design Promotion Agency, commented, "The agency has carried out highly visible projects in the public design sector, such as universal design for traditional markets, urban design living labs, and local branding initiatives. As public design is not merely about aesthetics but a policy tool whose effectiveness can be measured against investment, performance indicators and data-driven cooperation will be crucial in future integrated design policies for Daejeon and South Chungcheong."

During the seminar, Myongji University Professor Chae Mingyu served as moderator, while Kim Yonggak, CEO of an architecture firm; Shin Jaeryeong, Professor at Mokwon University; Lee Hyunsung, Associate Professor at Hongik University; Jang Jihun, Director at the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Design Promotion Agency; and Chae Wanseok, Vice President of Twenty Plus Co., participated in the discussion. They addressed topics such as establishing metropolitan design governance, identifying joint research and business opportunities, and developing integrated design guidelines.

Lee Changgi, Director of Daejeon Design Promotion Agency (Photo by Daejeon Design Promotion Agency)

Lee Changgi, Director of the Daejeon Design Promotion Agency, stated, "This seminar was an opportunity to explore ways to connect metropolitan policies to citizens' daily lives through public design, as discussions on administrative integration between Daejeon and South Chungcheong become more concrete. Moving forward, Daejeon and South Chungcheong plan to gradually develop and specify collaborative public design models that can be jointly implemented."