‘Busan, the Maritime Capital, as a Global Brand’: 2026 Busan World City Brand Forum

[Financial News] Busan City announced on the 1st that it will hold the ‘2026 Busan World City Brand Forum’ at Nurimaru APEC House in Haeundae District on the afternoon of the 4th.


Now in its fourth edition, the forum has established itself since its first edition in 2023 as a platform for exchange where domestic and international experts in city branding and design share visions and strategies for strengthening urban competitiveness. This year’s event is themed ‘Busan, the Maritime Capital, Becomes a Global Brand.’
The forum is divided into two sessions. With ‘the sea’ as its key theme, it will explore strategies for developing Busan’s distinctive urban identity into a global brand.
In the first session, Korean experts in spatial design and branding will give presentations under the theme ‘Local Insights: Capturing the Texture of the Sea and Shaping It into a Brand.’ Park Ji-hyun, CEO of Ikseon Dada; Lee Jeong-eun, team leader at Type Studio, Yoon Design; and Kim Cheol-woo, CEO of RTBP Alliance, are scheduled to deliver presentations on branding in turn.
The main program in the second session will follow the opening ceremony and take place under the theme ‘Global Vision: A City Shaped by the Sea Leading Global Brands.’ The keynote address will be delivered by Luisa Bocchietto, former president of the World Design Organization. Under the theme ‘Designing a New Identity for the Maritime Capital,’ she will present a city-brand strategy combining maritime lifestyles with design innovation.
Next, Taipei City Deputy Mayor Jang Won-deo will present on ‘From World Design Capital to a Design City for All: Citizen Participation in Revitalizing the City and Design Woven into Daily Life.’ Kelly Chen, founder of The Press Room, will speak on ‘Singapore, a Lovely Yet Boring City,’ while Dirk Schumann, founder of Schumann Design, will present on ‘Making Busan’s Nature Part of Everyday Life for Everyone.’
Mayor Jeon Jae-soo will also speak at the main program, presenting on ‘A Strategy to Strengthen the Brand Competitiveness of Busan, the Global Maritime Capital.’ He is scheduled to outline a vision for Busan to build up its maritime administration, judicial, corporate and financial foundations and become a global maritime hub in response to the era of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
Mayor Jeon said, “Busan has grown over the past 150 years by connecting with the world through the sea. Now, as we prepare for the NSR era, we are preparing to make the leap to become a global maritime hub.” He added, “I hope this forum will be a great help in building a city where opportunities from around the world converge and people from across the globe come back to visit.”
[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter