2013 Articles

Design Politics: Consumerization of Post-Industrial South Korea

Lee, Hyun-Joung (Ryan)

In recent years, design has become a main theme in administration of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Under this theme of design, many projects have taken place, including a number of public constructions. While the purpose behind supporting “design” as the symbol of Korea is to promote a new national image of post-developed nation, some of the Seoul government’s design projects yielded unintended side effects. This paper analyzes the discrepancy between the professed rationale of these projects and the actual consequences through the case of Gwanghwamun and Dongdaemun, and suggests a possible direction for the future of design in Korean politics.