Seoul Chosen as IDEA/Brazil 2010 Gold Winner

SEOUL, South Korea, September 1, 2010 - The Seoul Metropolitan Government has won the gold of IDEA/Brazil 2010
Awards, a coveted international design competition in South America, in the
category of design strategy and environment for its design-related policy in
recognition of Mayor Oh Se-hoon's exemplary leadership in promoting design in
overall city administration and urban development.

IDEA/Brazil is the South American chapter of the International Design
Excellence Awards (IDEA), one of the three most prestigious awards for
designers in the world along with iF and Red dot of Germany. IDEA/Brazil
Awards are conducted every year with the validation of the Industrial Design
Society of America (IDSA).

Joice Joppert Leal, executive-director of the Objecto Brasil Association,
main organizer of the IDEA/Brazil Awards, said that the citation is for Mayor
Oh's contribution to upgrading the city brand value of Seoul though his
design policy. In particular, Seoul City established the Design Seoul
Headquarters as an organization of the city government, which has implemented
various design-related projects. He even recruited a design expert as the
Chief Design Officer (CDO) responsible for the city's design policies. Oh's
such move is believed to strengthen the city's international competitiveness
and improve the quality of life of citizens, she was quoted as saying.

Such efforts of the city have made Seoul won the title of World Design
Capital 2010 from the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design
in 2007. In celebration of its designation of WDC 2010, Seoul hosted/will
host several events including the annual Seoul Design Fair, World Design
Capital Summit that induced cooperation among leaders of world cities, Seoul
International Design Workshop that helped cultivate design manpower, and the
like.

Seoul City has also strengthened design infrastructure. Some of the
examples are the Seoul Design Committee, set up and operated by the city, and
the creation of the design guidelines and typeface of Seoul that apply to
urban design. In addition, Dongdaemun Design Plaza is being built at the site
of the former Dongdaemun Stadium, which is expected to complete by 2012.

Seoul City said the gold award from IDEA/Brazil signifies that its design
policy has gained recognition even from countries in South America and will
serve as a momentum to further upgrade the city brand value of Seoul, the
World Design Capital 2010.

Seoul Metropolitan Government, +82-2-727-0024, seoulpress at gmail.com