Seoul Design International Forum 2025✨: Attractive City of Seoul - Designing a Better Global Life (Event Information)
Hello! Here’s some exciting news for those interested in design, cities, and a sustainable future.
The Seoul Design International Forum 2025 will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, September 19, 2025, in the Multipurpose Hall, 8th floor of Seoul City Hall.
This forum will be a gathering to share visions and strategies for leading Seoul as a world-class design city, bringing together renowned speakers and experts from Korea and abroad. We’re truly looking forward to it!
The theme of this year’s forum is “Attractive City of Seoul: Designing a Better Global Life”.It will be a moment to share visions and strategies for advancing Seoul into an even more global design city.
The forum will be held both on-site and online, making it accessible from anywhere in Korea and around the world.
Simultaneous interpretation in Korean and English will also be provided, ensuring that our global audience can take part without any inconvenience.
Around 500 participants are expected to join, including the Mayor of Seoul, distinguished guests, leading experts from Korea and abroad, as well as citizens.
This won’t just be a series of lectures - it will be a vibrant platform for meaningful discussion and exchange.
For those interested, it promises to be a true celebration of design!
Two Key Highlights of the Forum
☞ First, you can hear the insights of the world’s leading urban design figures - condensed into a single day.
☞ Second, you’ll experience practical, real-world case presentations, complete with simultaneous interpretation to ensure seamless global communication.
Helle SØHOLT (CEO & Founding Partner of GEHL) is a world-renowned leader in people-centered urban design who has led major projects in global cities such as New York and San Francisco.
She will open the Seoul Design International Forum with her keynote session, “Designing Cities for People & Planet: From Vision to Impact”. I’m really looking forward to this session!
Sharon SO, Director of Corporate Affairs, Engagement & Sustainability at L’Oréal Korea, will share real-world examples of how sustainability is embedded into design at the corporate level.
The first session will be held under the theme “Global Leadership through Design Collaboration”. Design leaders from around the world will come together to share how design can drive change on a global scale through collaboration and leadership.
Uwe CREMERING, CEO of iF International Forum Design Gmbh, will highlight global design trends and the importance of collaboration, based on his experience leading one of the world’s most renowned design awards.
Lorenzo IMBESI, Full Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, will explore the social role of design through his academic research and international network activities.
Sharon SO, Director of Corporate Affairs, Engagement & Sustainability at L’Oréal Korea, will share real-world examples of how sustainability is embedded into design at the corporate level.
In short, Session 1 will be a chance to hear diverse perspectives on 'how design can become a language of global collaboration and leadership', and it is certainly something to look forward to!
The second session takes on a more practical and city-focused theme: “The Power of Design Driving Urban Innovation.”
Design practitioners from Seoul, New York, and beyond will share their real-world cases, showing how design plays a powerful role in solving urban challenges and driving everyday innovation.
Inkyu CHOI, Director-General of the Design Policy Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will introduce Seoul’s design policies and share the city’s vision for the future.
Deana YU, Assistant Director of the Service Design Studio at the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity, will share projects from the first service design studio within a U.S. local government, showing the real impact of design in improving public services.
Byungsu KIM, CEO of Missionit Co., Ltd, will showcase design practices for socially vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities and the elderly, highlighting the importance of inclusive design that leaves no one behind.
This session will be a moment to truly experience the message that “design is the most powerful tool for transforming cities.”
The final program, the Panel Discussion, will bring together all the ideas shared throughout the day to explore how Seoul can move forward as a global design city.
The session will be chaired by Professor Joo Yun KIM, Master Public Designer of Seoul, who will moderate a dialogue among both Korean and international speakers.Here, design will be discussed not just as an aesthetic element, but as a force shaping urban competitiveness, quality of life, and Seoul’s global standing.
You can register in advance for this forum until September 15 and join either on-site or online.
☞ [Pre-register here]
You can register in advance for this forum until September 15 and join either on-site or online.
☞ [Pre-register here]
We warmly invite you to join this special occasion that will shape the future of design in Seoul!
Discover more stories on design and urban innovation on the official website of the Seoul Design International Forum.
