The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation through Nov. 2 host this year's Public Design Festival at 206 venues nationwide. Shown is a public design for the coexistence of smokers and non-smokers in Seoul's Seocho-gu District, an office that won the main honor of this year's Korea Public Design Awards. (Festival's official website)

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Oct. 28 announced its hosting of this year's Public Design Festival with the Korea Craft and Design Foundation until Nov. 2 at 206 venues nationwide.

Now in its fourth year, this event has the theme "Coexistence: Public Design for the Future" to promote the role of public design in achieving intergenerational harmony and coexistence and responding to social changes such as low birth rate, aging society and climate change.

The opening ceremony on Oct. 24 at the creator space Cociety in Seoul's Songdong-gu District honored the 14 winners of the annual Korea Public Design Awards.

The Presidential Award went to Seoul's Seocho-gu District for its public service launched in 2022 to promote coexistence between smokers and non-smokers.

The festival is being held at 206 "public design hubs" nationwide, 33 of which are hosting events for residents to experience public design.

Gwangju, which was named this year's city of regional cooperation, is pursuing design projects such as Gwangju Folly and Star Night Museum that reflect its regional identity.

The National Asian Culture Center on Oct. 28 held a discussion under the theme "Public Design for Tomorrow" with experts from home and abroad.

More information about the event is on its official website (festival.publicdesign.kr).

aisylu@korea.kr