GyeongNam Investment & Business Agency Announcement No. 2026-08

2026 Gyeongnam K-Design Award Announcement

Gyeongsangnam-do will hold the ‘2026 Gyeongnam K-Design Award’ as outlined below, in order to discover talented designers who will lead the future of the Gyeongnam design industry and to foster a creative environment for design. Interested designers, students, and companies are encouraged to participate.

March 25, 2026

CEO of GyeongNam Investment & Business Agency

1. Overview of the Competition

a. Competition Name: 2026 Gyeongnam K-Design Award

b.  Host/Organizer: Gyeongsangnam-do / GyeongNam Investment & Business Agency

c. Sponsors: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, Korea Institute of Design Promotion, Gyeong nam Design Industrial Association, KBS Changwon Broadcasting Station, MBC Gyeongnam, KNN Gyeongnam Headquarters, NH NongHyup Bank, BNK Kyongnam Bank, Gyeongsangnam-do Chamber of Commerce and Industry Council, Gyeongnam Enterprises Federation, etc

d. Announcement Date: March 25, 2026 (Wed)

e. Application Period

(1) 1st Round (Online Submission): August 18, 2026 (Tue) – September 11, 2026 (Fri) by 23:59 (25 days)

(2) 2nd Round (Physical Submission of Artwork): September 29, 2026 (Tue) – October 6, 2026 (Tue) by 18:00 (8 days)

f. Awards Ceremony: October 27, 2026 (Tue), Changwon Exhibition Convention Center (tentative)

g. Exhibition: October 28, 2026 (Wed) – November 1, 2026 (Sun), Changwon Exhibition Convention Center (tentative)

h. Exchange Exhibition: November 25, 2026 (Wed) – November 29, 2026 (Sun), Design Korea 2026 (tentative)

2. Submission Guidelines

a. Eligibility

❶ (General Division) Domestic and overseas university (graduate) students, general public, companies

❷ (High School Division) Domestic and overseas high school students (including youths of equivalent age)

b. Submission Method

- Individual entries or joint submissions of up to 4 people (maximum 2 works)

- For group entries, designate 1 lead designer and 1–3 associate designers

- Only one award certificate will be issued per work

(However, all participants can be issued a certificate of submission and a record of award, regardless of the wording on the certificate.)

c. Entry Fee: Free

d. Submission Restrictions

(1) Works deemed to be imitations

(2) Works considered harmful to public order and good morals

(3) Works that do not comply with the production specifications stated in these guidelines

(4) Works that, as of the time of submission, have already received an award in any domestic or international competition

※ Any winning entry that falls under these criteria will have its record and prize revoked

3. Submission Schedule

Category	Details
Submission Announcement	Competition Announcement	▸Announcement Date: March 25, 2026 (Wed)
Submission	1st Round (Online Submission)	▸Submission Period: August 18, 2026 (Tue) – September 11, 2026 (Fri) by 23:59 (25 days) ※ Submission time is based on Korean Standard Time (KST) ▸Submission Site: Gyeongnam K-Design Award official website (http://gnk-designaward.net)
	2nd Round (Physical Submission)	▸Submission Period: September 29, 2026 (Tue) – October 6, 2026 (Tue) by 18:00 (8 days) ▸Submission Location: To be announced later ※ Only works received within the submission period are valid (the organizer is not responsible for loss or damage)

4. Submission Categories: Open Theme, Special Theme

a. Open Theme: Designs in the following fields that inspire creativity and development in industrial design, enhance product competitiveness, and contribute to industrial development.

(1) Product and Craft Design

- Industrial & Household Products: Electrical and electronics, industrial machinery and tools, home goods, fashion, accessories, styling, furniture, transportation equipment, etc.

- Contemporary Crafts: Metal, ceramics, glass, woodcraft, other craft designs, etc.

(2) Visual, Digital Media, and Content Design

- Communication : Branding (BI/CI), packaging, advertising, character and merchandise design, etc.

- Media/Interaction: Video media, games, interactive design, user experience (UI/UX) design, etc.

- Digital Content: Webtoons, illustrations, content design, etc.

(3) Space, Environment, and Service Design

- Space/Environment/Architecture: Environmental design, exhibition and stage design, architectural design, etc.

- System/Service: Service design, community design, entertainment design, etc.

b. Special Theme : “The Power of Gyeongnam, Designing the Future”

(1) Core Value: Reinterpreting the regional identity of Gyeongnam—its industries, history, culture, and tourism—and visualizing future growth drivers

(2) Details

❶ Gyeongnam’s Industries: Brand and product design for Gyeongnam’s strategic industries such as aerospace, nuclear power and defense, and shipbuilding, etc.

❷ Gyeongnam’s Heritage: Designs utilizing historical and cultural resources, and UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Gaya Tumuli, etc.

❸ Gyeongnam’s Vitality: Designs for future growth drivers, including revitalization of the southern coastal tourism, etc.

5. Submission Specifications

a. (1st Round) Online Submission Specifications

Category

Details

Image Size

A1 (size: 594mm × 841mm, pixels: 4677px × 6623px)

* No distinction between landscape/portrait, up to 2 A1s

* If the submitted work is a “video entry,” it must be submitted as an image file containing approximately 10 key frames featuring major scenes from the video content.

	【Submission Guidelines for AI-Used Works】
‣ Targets: All design categories created or planned using generative AI technologies ※ The final submission must be a work that reflects the entrant’s planning intent and creative editing. ‣ Requirements: When applying through the submission system, entrants must ➀ indicate whether AI was used, ➁ sign a copyright compliance statement, and ➂ submit a statement detailing AI usage (including the names of AI tools and the scope of use)

Image Resolution & Color Space

200 dpi / RGB color

Image File Format

jpg

Image File Name

Applicant Name_Work Title_Image No.

b. (2nd Round) Physical Submission Specifications

Category	Specification	Notes
2D Submissions	(1) Submit A1-sized (590mm × 840mm × 5mm) foam boards (up to 2 boards) ※ No modifications allowed from the online submission ※ Do not include any information that may identify the entrant (e.g. name, background, affiliation) (2) Multimedia content, video, webtoon submissions - Submit the final work on a USB drive	Required
3D Submissions	(1) POP, CIP, packaging design - 3D model within a display space of 900mm × 900mm × 900mm (2) Multimedia content, video submissions - Submit the final work on a USB drive - Web design: up to 20 pages, video design: up to 5 minutes, webtoon: up to 10 cuts (3) Product, environment, craft design submissions - Within a display space of 1,000mm × 1,000mm × 2,000mm	Optional
(Additional Submissions) Submissions using AI	(1) Original AI-generated outputs before any editing or processing (For images: 1–3 key images, for videos: screenshots of key scenes) (2) Summary of usage stages and key prompts (full prompt submission not required) (3) Proof of designer’s creative intervention (Process demonstrating that the entrant directly modified, supplemented, or composited the AI-generated output (Submission of screenshots or photographs of the work to confirm work layers, timelines, post-processing steps, modeling or rendering processes, etc)) ※ Submitted materials in (1)–(3) will be used solely for evaluation and post-verification purposes and will not be disclosed externally. ※ Failure to submit these materials will result in exclusion from the second round of evaluation and final awards.	Required

※  Entries selected in the 1st round are considered finalists. For the 2nd round of physical evaluation, physical works must be submitted during the submission period. If the physical work differs from the image submitted online, it will be excluded from evaluation (If the physical work is not submitted, it will be excluded from the list of finalists.)

6. Judging Overview

a. Judges: Appointed experts from design-related institutions, academia, and companies nationwide

b. Judging Criteria

(1) Originality

(2) Suitability for intended function and efficiency

(3) Effective and appropriate use of materials

(4) Comprehensive form and aesthetic quality

(5) Sufficient data and general validity

(6) Strict adherence to production guidelines for each category

(7) Appeal to consumer preferences

c. Judging Schedule

(1) 1st Round Online Judging: September 16, 2026 (Wed) – September 23, 2026 (Wed) by 18:00 (8 days)

(2) 1st Round Results Announcement: September 29, 2026 (Tue)

(3) 2nd Round Physical Artwork Submission: September 29, 2026 (Tue) – October 6, 2026 (Tue) by 18:00 (8 days)

(4) 2nd Round Physical Artwork Judging: October 8, 2026 (Thu)

(5) Final Results Announcement: October 12, 2026 (Mon)

* Final Results will be posted on the Gyeongnam K-Design Award website (gnk-designaward.net)

7. Awards: Total Awards: 37 | Total Prize Money: KRW 30,000,000

❍ Awards Details

(Unit: KRW 10,000)

Category			Award Title	Quantity	Prize Money	Total Amount	Notes
Total				37		3,000
General Division	Sub Total			23		2,600
	Open + Special Theme	Grand Prize	Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Award	1	1,000	1,000	Special Mention 5%, Honorable Mention 15% (by category)
	Open Theme	Gold Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	1	500	500
		Silver Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	2	200	400
		Bronze Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	3	100	300
		Korea Institute of Design Promotion President’s Award		8	-	-
	Special Theme	Gold Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	1	200	200	Special Mention 5%, Honorable Mention 15%
		Silver Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	1	100	100
		Bronze Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	2	50	100
		Gyeong nam Design Industrial Association President’s Award		4	-	-
High School Division	Sub Total			3		100	Special Mention 5%, Honorable Mention 15%
	Open + Special Theme	Gold Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	1	50	50
		Silver Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	1	30	30
		Bronze Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	1	20	20
Sub Total				11		300
Local Talent	Open + Special Theme	Local Talent Award (University Student)	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	8	20	160
		Local Talent Award (High School Student)	Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education Superintendent’s Award	2	20	40
Leadership		Leadership Award	Gyeongsangnam-do Governor’s Award	1	100	100

8. Awards Ceremony

a. Date: October 27, 2026 (Tue)

b. Venue: Changwon Exhibition Convention Center* (tentative)

* 362, Woni-daero, Seongsan-gu, Changwo-si, Gyeongsangnam-do

9. Exhibition of Award-Winning Works

a. Date: October 28, 2026 (Wed) – November 1, 2026 (Sun), 5 days

b. Venue: Changwon Exhibition Convention Center (tentative)

c. Target: Award-winning works

10. Exchange Exhibition of Award-Winning Works

a. Date: November 25, 2026 (Wed) – November 29, 2026 (Sun)

b. Venue: ‘Design Korea 2026,’ COEX, Seoul

c. Target: Award-winning works

11. Retrieval of Entries

a. Non-exhibited works: October 12, 2026 (Mon), 16:00-18:00

b. Exhibited works: November 30, 2026 (Mon), 16:00-18:00

*  All works must be retrieved within the designated period (no postal returns). The host (organizer) bears no responsibility for loss or damage to unclaimed works. All works not retrieved by the deadline will be discarded.

12. Important Notes

a. Each person (team) is limited to submitting up to two works. Any excess entries will be excluded from evaluation.

b. If identical entries are received, the first-received entry will be given priority.

c. If multiple works by the same entrant are selected, only the highest-ranked work will be awarded.

d. Entries that use generative AI must submit an AI usage statement upon submission, specifying the AI tools used, stages of use, and a summary of prompts. Submitted materials will be used solely for evaluation and post-verification purposes and will not be disclosed externally.

e. Copyright of submitted works remains with the entrants. However, the host (organizer) retains the right to use award-winning works through reproduction, distribution, exhibition, and creation of derivative works for public interest purposes, including exhibition promotion, display, and catalog publication

f. Submitted works must not infringe upon any third party’s legal rights, including copyright, portrait rights, and trademark rights. Entrants bear full responsibility for any legal disputes arising from the submission, including those related to the use of AI-generated content.

g. If a submitted work is found to be a previously awarded entry in other competitions, or determined to be manipulated, altered, plagiarized, or if the use of generative AI was concealed to win an award, the award will be revoked and all prizes will be reclaimed.

h. Evaluation scores and detailed results will not be disclosed. If the submitted works do not meet the judging standards, the number of awards may be reduced.

※ The judging and announcement schedule is subject to change. Any changes will be announced on the website.

13. Inquiries

❍ Corporate Support Team, GyeongNam Investment & Business Agency (055-230-2904, 2907)

❍ Design Support Team, Economic and Business Division, Gyeongsangnam-do (055-211-3343)

❍ E-mail: yun21@giba.or.kr, echae@giba.or.kr

(Homepage: Gyeongnam K-Design Award Website (gnk-designaward.net))