Is Korean design booming like Squid Game?

Over the past two decades, partly thanks to state subsidies, the products of South Korean creativity have invaded film, TV, music and fashion. And what about the design world?  

For the new Western generations, the ‘Korean Wave’ embodied by K-pop and TV series—commonly referred to as Hallyu—is a phenomenon that can deviate into idolization. Try discussing it with a (pre)teen, and you will find it nearly impossible to argue otherwise. But does this hallyu effect also serve as a seductive force when it comes to design?

Compared to other creative industries, including contemporary art and cinema, the design sector appears to have benefited far less from the legendary government subsidies that fueled Korea’s entertainment boom around the turn of the millennium. More niche by nature, Korean design seems to have had a weaker impact on both local and global imagination. However, this gap may soon be closing. That is the suggestion behind the selection of designers we saw at the recent Maison&Objet’s Rising Talents program. As usual, the initiative highlights six promising talents under 35, and this year, the focus is precisely on Korean design. 

Korean design at Maison & Objet © Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

“Korean designers are very young and eager to launch something new that they can finally identify with,” Hwachan Lee tells Domus. Lee is the co-founder, along with Yoomin Maeng, of Kuo Duo, an industrial design studio based in Seoul. “Korea offers many advantages when it comes to experimentation. Prototyping, for example, is less expensive here than in Japan, where I grew up, or in Europe. In Seoul, there are entire streets that function as workshops for metal, leather, or other materials, and the people working there are open to bringing our ideas to life.” 

The diversity of approaches offered by this widespread workshop becomes tangible when looking at the production of this small studio. Their minimalist yet inviting furniture - such as the Vino series of tables, chairs, and sofas designed for Wekino - seems tailored to fit seamlessly into a harmonious, balanced everyday life. At the same time, small experimental details - such as the joints of the Kerf Plastic Chair, made from recycled plastic and inspired by bent plywood techniques, or the creative reuse of industrial waste materials - lean toward limited-edition design. More importantly, they contribute to making everyday life less predictable and more playful.

Kuo Duo, Kerf Plastic Chair. Courtesy Kuo Duo

“Variety is the main characteristic of Korean design,” Lee continues. “Our backgrounds are very different, and they are enriched by the fact that we travel abroad a lot. This is probably what makes our artistic scene unique.” This diversity is evident in the work of the other talents showcased in the Rising Talents program. 

Korean designers are very young and eager to launch something new that they can finally identify with.

Hwachan Lee, co-founder of Kuo Duo

What varies is not only the aesthetic references or preferred materials but also the conceptual intent driving each designer’s research. Seoul-based duo niceworkshop works on recycling metal sheets to explore their aesthetic and functional potential through a brutalist, slightly punk approach. Korean-New Zealand designer WooJay Lee has also made a recycled material, in this case paper, his medium of choice, transforming it into indigo-tinted stools and pedestals that subtly celebrate imperfection and roughness. Meanwhile, Lee Sisan works with cast metal, creating poetic furniture pieces that incorporate realistic molds of elements from the natural world. 

Niceworkshop, Aged form lounge chair. © Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

In addition to the great freedom embodied by the variety of products on display, the use of primordial techniques further expands the range of possibilities that this generation seems eager to explore. The deep heritage of traditional craftsmanship leads to unexpected discoveries - such as the timeless objects crafted by Dahye Jeong using horsehair. “I have revived an ancient hat-making technique, adapting it to create three-dimensional objects. We have so many traditional techniques in Korea that are not yet known globally! I believe Koreans are truly trying to show the world what they can do - there are countless possibilities,” Jeong says.

Variety is the main characteristic of Korean design. Our backgrounds are very different, and they are enriched by the fact that we travel abroad a lot. This is probably what makes our artistic scene unique.

Hwachan Lee, co-founder of Kuo Duo

From age-old traditions to the unbridled modernity, the Korean context seems to provide fertile ground for a small golden age of design. With a booming real estate sector and a rapidly expanding retail industry, the demand for spaces to furnish is multiplying, offering designers more opportunities to quickly build their portfolios. At the same time, there has been a growing sensitivity among consumers toward self-representation through design, whether in mass-market products or limited editions. 

WooJay Lee © Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

Minjae Kim, another selected designer in the Rising Talents program, highlights this aspect of an expanding market. Based in New York, where he studied, Kim acknowledges that the soft power of Hallyu has successfully exported narratives that spark curiosity

“Although Hallyu never affects my aesthetics or philosophy as an artist, it contextualizes my individual and my work. I find myself never have to explain about my Korean identity and it is difficult to even explain how encouraging that is. Initiative to make its cultural contents like TV drama, music and movies the most valuable exports over hard goods was announced in 2002 when I was in middle school. I am baffled how much impact that initiative had in our country and grateful for everyone who contributed over the years and happy that I can now represent Korean culture as an extension of that effort.” 

Minjae Kim © Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

The handcrafted seating pieces that fill his booth, shaped by a dreamlike inspiration that gives them an almost animistic presence, may have little in common with the polished, high-energy choreography of K-pop. Yet, in their own way, they reflect the same desire to leave a lasting impression—one that resonates with the freedom of expression found in the expansionist cycles that define the ebb and flow of design history.

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