2026 Gyeongnam K-Design Exhibition Welcomes Designers from Around the World

Connecting Industry, Culture, and Tourism in Gyeongnam, Korea, Through Design

NYC, NY, UNITED STATES, June 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, invites designers, students, companies, and creative teams from around the world to take part in the 2026 Gyeongnam K-Design Exhibition.

The 2026 Gyeongnam K-Design Exhibition is a design competition that reinterprets Gyeongnam's industry, history, culture, and tourism resources through a design lens and visualizes the region's future growth potential. Rather than simply selecting outstanding works, the exhibition aims to expand the region's identity and future industries into a globally resonant design language.

Gyeongnam is a leading industrial hub in southern Korea. The region has grown on the strength of advanced manufacturing industries such as aerospace, nuclear power and defense, and shipbuilding, while also holding rich historical and cultural assets, including the Gaya Tumuli, along with the tourism resources of its southern coast. The 2026 Gyeongnam K-Design Exhibition will serve as a stage for connecting these strengths through design and discovering new value for the future.

The exhibition is organized around an open theme and a special theme. The open theme covers the full range of industrial design fields, including product and craft design; visual, digital media, and content design; and spatial, environmental, and service design. The special theme, “The Power of Gyeongnam, Designing the Future,” invites works that creatively express Gyeongnam’s industry, heritage, tourism, and regional identity.

Participation is open to a wide range of entrants. University and graduate students, members of the public, and companies, both in Korea and abroad, may take part in the General category, while high school students and youth of the same age group, both in Korea and abroad, may enter the High School category. Entries may be submitted individually or by teams of up to four members, with each individual or team able to submit up to two works. There is no entry fee.

First-round online submissions will be accepted from August 18 through 11:59 p.m. on September 11, 2026. Submission times follow Korea Standard Time, and entries can be submitted through the official Gyeongnam K-Design Exhibition website. Works that pass the first round will go on to a second round of physical-work submission and final judging before being selected as award winners.

A total of 37 prizes will be awarded, with prize money totaling KRW 30 million. The Grand Prize winner in the General category will receive the Minister of Trade and Industry Award along with prize money of KRW 10 million. Additional awards will be selected across categories including the open theme, special theme, High School category, Regional Talent Award, and Mentor Award.

Award-winning works will be unveiled at an awards ceremony and exhibition at Changwon Convention Center in October 2026. They will also be presented at the Design Korea 2026 exchange exhibition, to be held at COEX in Seoul in November 2026. Through these events, participants will be able to connect with a wider design stage that extends beyond Korea’s regional design competitions.

The exhibition has also established submission standards for works created using generative AI. Entries that use AI technology must clearly state whether AI was used and to what extent, and the final submission must reflect the participant's own creative intent and substantive creative editing. This standard reflects a shared effort to consider new modes of creation and the designer's role amid a changing design landscape.

The 2026 Gyeongnam K-Design Exhibition is a creative platform connecting Gyeongnam with designers around the world. Any designer who wishes to interpret Korea’s industry, culture, tourism, and vision for the future through design is welcome to take part.

We look forward to the active interest and participation of designers, students, companies, and creative teams from around the world.

Yunju Lee
Gyeongnam K-Design Exhibition
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