SEOUL, South Korea – October 12, 2026 – The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Design Foundation will hold Seoul Design Week 2026 for 12 days, from Wednesday, Oct. 14 to Sunday, Oct. 25.
Under the theme “The Design Recipe,” this year’s event features exhibitions, a fair and a conference centered on Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), along with programs staged in key neighborhoods across Seoul.
The fair is organized into four persona-based spaces: the Market of the Warm Gourmet, the Market of the Cheerful Companion, the Market of the Quiet Dreamer, and the Market of the Attentive Homemaker. Rather than passively following a fixed category path, visitors actively seek out the space that resembles their own taste, naturally exploring 79 lifestyle brands and a special pavilion of 20 young designers along the way.
The Seoul Design Week conference will bring together experts in design and lifestyle from Korea and abroad for in-depth discussions.
The first day of the conference, themed “Seoul as a New Source of Inspiration,” will examine design and lifestyle businesses that were created and have grown in Seoul. Speakers include Yoo Hyun-jun, professor in the School of Urban Design and Architecture at Hongik University, and Lee Ji-hyun, special advisor overseeing branding for the Seoul Metropolitan Government. They will discuss how the city is becoming fertile ground for brands and new lifestyle businesses.
The second day turns the focus outward. Maria Porro, president of Salone del Mobile.Milano; Mauro Porcini, president and chief design officer at Samsung Electronics; Anna Barbara, dean of POLI.design; and representatives of design studios in Paris, Hong Kong and London will explore global trends in design and the potential of K-design.
The DDP Design Exhibition presents a range of curated shows on themes including designers’ growth and creative practice, and design exchange between Korea and other countries. Exhibitions such as “Collective Seoul,” “EatAliens: Strange Italy” and “Studio Practice” introduce not only finished designs but also the creative process and the industrial potential behind them.
At the DDP Design Market, visitors can find products across lifestyle, craft, fashion, jewelry and food and beverage categories. Beyond DDP, satellite programs in key districts of Seoul connect local design spaces with creative activity.
In Seongsu, “Seoulness” presents artworks and brand content that document and reinterpret the city’s spaces and everyday life from a variety of perspectives. In Yeonhui, the “Design Open Studio” opens local design studios, architecture firms and exhibition spaces to the public, with programs that reflect the character of each venue. Through “Seoul Design Road,” design spaces and cultural and lifestyle venues in five districts — Dongdaemun, Yeonhui, Seongsu, Seochon and Apgujeong — are linked, with a total of 150 design spots and neighborhood walking routes introduced.
“This year’s Seoul Design Week will showcase the potential of Seoul’s brands and K-design to expand globally,” said Cha Kang-hee, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation.
About Seoul Design Foundation
Established in 2008, the Seoul Design Foundation works to improve the quality of life of Seoul citizens by spreading design culture and strengthening the city’s design industry. The foundation operates Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), which opened in 2014 and has become one of Seoul’s landmark design destinations. It also runs Seoul Design Week, the DDP Design Fair and the DDP Design Store, and supports young designers through the Seoul Design Startup Center. Through these programs, the foundation aims to expand the global reach of Seoul’s design brands and K-design.
Media Contact
Company Name: Seoul Design Foundation
Contact Person: Seoul Design Week Secretariat
Email: Send Email
Country: South Korea
Website: https://www.seoul-designweek.or.kr/