Now firmly established as one of Asia’s top three design awards, the K-Design Award held its largest-ever award ceremony on October 17 at the Grand Ballroom of Signiel Seoul in Jamsil. This year’s ceremony brought together award winners from around the world and leading figures from Korea’s design industry, creating a meaningful gathering that combined high-caliber works with a sincere vision for the future. Far beyond a typical award event, the ceremony served as a platform to re-explore the social and cultural value of design and to foster global creative exchange. Distinguished leaders from the domestic and international design industries attended as VIP guests, including Oliver Lin, Deputy Director of the Taiwan Design Research Institute, Kanghee Cha, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation, Hyun-sun Kim, President of the Korea Federation of Design Associations, Sohyun Choi, Head of Design & Marketing at Naver, and Jongwook Kim, CEO of KBS Art Vision. The presence of design directors from global brands, startup founders, art directors, and academics underscored the event’s global significance. Many voiced a shared opinion: “The K-Design Award is no longer just a competition, but an influential platform drawing attention from the global design community.”

The 2025 edition of the K-Design Award attracted over 3,000 entries from 23 countries worldwide. Winners were carefully selected through a multi-stage blind evaluation process. Under the brand slogan “KUDOS FOR YOUR DESIGN,” this year’s event once again demonstrated the award’s growing status as a springboard for expanding global careers and validating the intrinsic value of designers—going beyond mere recognition of achievement. Notably, this year’s platform provided not just prestige, but also tangible global marketing solutions and business opportunities for the winners. The theme of the 2025 ceremony was “Beyond Achievement, Proving Value.” During forum-style sessions that brought together awardees, jury members, and industry leaders, in-depth discussions explored the essence of design, its societal role, and its future value. With premium stage direction, sophisticated set design, and congratulatory video messages from jurors and brands worldwide, the ceremony delivered a highly refined and complete experience. One international juror commented, “K-Design Award is one of the few awards that truly captures the pulse of contemporary design.”

The event featured the announcement of winners across major categories—Grand Prize, Gold, and Winner—with honorees taking the stage at Signiel to receive their official trophies and certificates. Each time a name was called, the hall erupted with applause and cheers, celebrating stories of challenge and accomplishment through design. The ceremony also featured a media session for sharing visions for the design industry, a VIP networking reception, and informal roundtable talks with jurors, facilitating active exchanges of ideas and collaboration between domestic and international designers. Global awardees and startup founders engaged in candid conversations about their philosophies and creative processes, sparking new opportunities for collaboration.

Doyoung Kim, CEO of Design Sori, the award’s organizer, remarked, “This year’s event set a new standard in terms of scale, structure, and execution. It became the most prestigious stage where global designers gathered to honor each other’s achievements and engage in meaningful discussions on the fundamental value of design.” He continued, “The K-Design Award is not just an award—it’s the beginning of proving a designer’s career and brand value. We will continue to expand its influence based on fairness and honor in the global design market.” Under the core brand values of fairness, honor, and global influence, the K-Design Award 2025 ceremony served as a tribute to the passion and philosophy of those who are changing the world through design. It once again reaffirmed the global presence of K-Design, leaving behind unforgettable inspiration and impact.

editor@asiadesignprize.com