Event spans DDP, Seongsu, Yeonhui, Seochon and Apgujeong over 12 days

871 companies and brands join 370 designers and 353 students

DDP Design Fair draws 80-plus brands and 35,000 visitors over 5 days

Seoul Metropolitan Government eyes expanded global ties through 2027 World Design Congress

Visitors gather at Dongdaemun Design Plaza during the 2026 Seoul Design Week. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Visitors gather at Dongdaemun Design Plaza during the 2026 Seoul Design Week. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Seoul spent 12 days immersed in design, drawing roughly 670,000 visitors eager to experience world-class creative work.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Design Foundation announced Sunday that the 2026 Seoul Design Week, held from Sept. 14 to Sept. 25, closed to strong attendance.

This year the festival expanded beyond Dongdaemun Design Plaza to 150 venues across five districts of the city. Through the Seoul Design Award — which received a record 1,204 project submissions from 91 countries — and international exchange programs, the event connected Seoul's design scene with the world and laid the groundwork for collaboration leading into next year's World Design Congress, to be held in Seoul.

Industry exchange programs linking design brands, consumers, emerging designers and companies drew particular attention this year. The DDP Design Fair, co-organized with 29CM, featured more than 80 brands showcasing a range of products and attracted 35,000 visitors over five days.

A collaboration program connecting emerging design talent with companies also ran during the event. At a special "University Collaboration Program" pavilion, design teams from 20 universities and more than 100 student designers presented products and content developed around real corporate briefs.

Also notable this year was the expansion of Seoul Design Week beyond DDP to neighborhoods across the city. A "Seoul Design Road" linked 150 venues in five districts — Dongdaemun, Seongsu, Yeonhui, Seochon and Apgujeong — giving residents the chance to encounter diverse design in everyday spaces.

An exhibition on display during the 2026 Seoul Design Week. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
An exhibition on display during the 2026 Seoul Design Week. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The Seoul Design Award 2026, held alongside Seoul Design Week, received a record 1,204 project submissions from 91 countries, reinforcing its standing as an international design prize. Now in its seventh year, the award recognizes designs that address everyday social problems and drive sustainable change.

This year's grand prize went to the Otter Neonatal Warmer, created by Design that Matters, a nonprofit design organization based in the United States. The portable warming device keeps newborns at a safe body temperature in environments with limited power and medical resources, demonstrating how design can tackle social challenges.

Building on the results of this year's Seoul Design Week, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to deepen global design exchange through the 2027 World Design Congress and strengthen support for Seoul's design companies and talent to reach international stages.

Cha Gang-hee, chief executive of the Seoul Design Foundation, said the organization would work to make Seoul the center of world design "at a time when the entire world is showing interest in K-design."


ikson@heraldcorp.com