SEOUL, KOREA - “The Korea Institute of Design Promotion will heighten its efforts to place Korea in a global leadership position within the design industry,” said Lee Taeyong, the president of Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) in a press conference earlier this month. Since its inception in 1970, KIDP has provided diverse support measures for the design industry with the goal of improving nation branding and creating brand value through design.
Korea’s design, with its unique value creation based on the convergence of its traditional value and global culture, has gained immense recognition in the global market in recent years. Korean companies have accounted for 8% of the total awards received in the three major design awards, International Forum Design (iF), Red Dot Design Award, and IDEA Awards, demonstrating their heightened reputation.
“This month, we plan to launch ‘KIDP China’ in Beijing and in June we will set up the ‘Outstanding K-Design Pavilion’ in Ningbo, China,” Lee said. KIDP China will prospect for joint design projects between the two countries and serve as a bridge between Korean and Chinese enterprises. The combination of the new Chinese leadership’s attention to its design industry and the youth’s interest in Korean branding such as K-Pop or K-Drama can create a synergistic effect for the industry. “Later, we plan to review design footholds in key economic belts in China and also expand in emerging countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.”
The president continued that, “KIDP plans to advance its ‘Overseas Design Sharing Project’ from the present information exchange to joint R&D.” The project has included design seminars, mentoring programs and consulting services centering on Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand which have benchmarked Korea’s design development. “This year, we will begin to hold global forums where Korean companies’ outstanding design goods and brands will be given the opportunity to link together with Chinese manufacturing to forge a cooperative partnership.”
“KIDP also plans to pass down its management expertise to the Vietnamese government in the ‘Good Design (GD)’ project.” GD refers to a product with outstanding design selected by KIDP on the basis of diverse criteria including design, function, safety, and quality. The selected products receive a GD mark, which enables them to become eligible to receive diverse support packages from the government. “The project is expected to expand from four countries last year to five, including either Cambodia or Indonesia,” Dr. Lee said.
He added that, “In order to promote K-Design, we are planning to set up ‘One Design in Asia’, in conjunction with other similar organizations including the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, Vietrade, Malaysia’s Majlis Rekabentuk Malaysia, and Design Singapore Council. ‘K-Design’s Special Exhibition’ will also be held on numerous occasions throughout the U.S., Asia, and European countries this year.
