[Opinion] Seoul Named World Design Capital

Hanover, Germany succeeded in attracting tourists by transforming its bus stops into art spaces in the early 1990s. France’s Lyon reemerged as an independent central capital from a satellite city of Paris after remodeling its night lighting. Amsterdam, Netherlands strengthened its security by designing police cabs in a more aesthetic way. There are many cities around the world that have raised their competitiveness through design.

Seoul, too, is gearing up to begin a design revolution. In a first step toward that, a vice mayor-level official will operate a general affairs head office for design in Seoul. First on its agenda is removing monotonous–looking apartments from construction consideration.

Some districts are now campaigning for better-looking signboards, benches, dustbins, and newsstands. These efforts have gotten world recognition. The world’s biggest private design organization, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID), consisting of prominent designers, scholars, and experts, selected Seoul as 2010’s World Design Capital (WDC) at the 50-year anniversary meeting of the foundation.

Selecting the WDC is part of a broader campaign to seek inspiration from a potential city to set exemplary design standards in the era of globalization where competition among cities is increasing.

Last year, Italy’s Torino was chosen as the top design city by the ICSID; Seoul has become the first official WDC this year, enhancing Seoul’s global standing. With WDC status being granted for one year, Seoul is expected to see its 7 trillion won design market swell to 15 trillion won as a result. In addition, Seoul City estimates that the number of design companies will increase from 1575 to 2500, creating 24,000 new jobs.

The fact that domestic companies like Samsung, LG and Hyundai have won world-renowned design awards recently also contributed to Seoul becoming the WDC. Japan’s Osaka is also famous for its status as a design city, thanks to Japanese companies based in Osaka such as Matsushita Electric Industrial corporation, Sharp, and Suntory, which were awarded a string of design prizes. The imagination of citizens, who recognize the importance of design and use beautiful products, can transform the city while influencing the city’s remodeling. Whether it involves a city or a nation, companies have the ability to change the world. Companies’ freedom and creativity can contribute most to changing the world.

Huh Mun-myeong, Editoria Writer, angelhuh@donga.com