World Hope Forum Korea

Diana Kloster

Vice President of CMF Design, Hyundai Motorgroup

Hyundai's vision and philosophy to put the human in the centre in an environment that respects the diversity of cultures is initially what drew Diana Kloster to the company in the first place. Their focus to think and react sustainably, was Diana’s motivation to move to Korea, to be more responsible, empathetic and caring, towards mother-nature and towards each other. Surrounded by Korean aesthetics where everything is done with style, Diana entered a fantastic environment to create calming spaces for self improvement and personal wellness.

Chanki Park 

CMF Designer, Hyundai Motorgroup

Chanki Park began working for Hyundai Motor Group 8 years ago. He entered the IONIQ 5 project with an unsustainable mindset that blossomed into something else entirely. Chanki started to embark on life that was filled with "experience" rather than "consumption" an ethos he adapted during this project, now he and his wife aim to live a zero-waste life, heading towards animal rights and veganism.

Ellen Loasby

Green steps in Seoul

Born in Germany, now living in Seoul. Working in outdoor education with a passion for deeper learning and beauty in nature. Ellen joined Green Steps as a Nature Guide because she wants to help protect our natural environment, but also because she believes in the intuitive wisdom of children. The Green Steps Team is international and diverse. You can meet some of us during our events. Others are working behind the scenes and are spread across continents, but we are united in our wish and efforts to make our planet and communities a healthier, happier place to live by supporting everyone’s potential. This is possible thanks to individuals and their heart, which is something that goes beyond their job description.

www.greensteps.me

Haneul Kim 

Stack and Stack

South Korean designer Haneul Kim has collected thousands of used disposable face masks from his university campus and recycled them to create a stackable stool. Called Stack and Stack, the project hopes to set an example for how the 129 billion single-use face-masks that the world goes through every month during the coronavirus pandemic can be diverted from ending up in landfill and in our oceans.

designboom.com/design/haneul-kim dezeen.com/haneul-kim

@neulkeem

Ian Choi

Continew

Continew designs and manfactures bags, shoes, accessories by upcycling leather seats, seat belts and airbags collected from automobile production and End of life vehicles Also from marine waste and discarded materials. They create sustainable environmental values that help the virtuous cycle of resources by thinking of environment and design at the same time. Giving Newness to familiar or forgotten things not newness of new things. The complete production process is 100% sustainable too.

wecontinew.com

Do Eun Lee

Re;code, Brand Manager of Kolon FnC

Re;code is a Korean brand specializing in upcycled fashion. Launched in March of 2012, they started from a place of consideration for the environment, and the realisation that dead stock fabric and garments from major brands, including that of their own umbrella corporation, was being incinerated to protect brand integrity. A sub-division of Kolon Industries, known for revolutionizing the contemporary fashion market, re;code creates something new from waste to create value, re;code is challenging the mainstream industry by reinterpreting design, and giving back to the environment.

www.kolonmall.com/RECODE

Sun Lee

Studio LEESUN

Inherited from Korean tradition, Sun Lee’s paper clothing collection pushes back the boundaries of the ready-to-wear industry in terms of sustainable development. Graduate of the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven found inspiration for this singular collection by drawing on her Korean roots. “Consumption of Heritage”, this extraordinary line looks to creatively highlight traditional production methods and materials while incorporating them into a contemporary context,  made of Hansan-Mosi fabric with biodegradable properties and Hanji paper. A dialogue between past and present that Sun Lee wanted to embody in light of the amount of waste produced by the textile industry each year. The collection is based on three principles: ephemerality, disposability and sustainability.

studioleesun.com

Ji Hyun Hwang

Visual designer, Professor at Osan University

Ji-Hyun Hwang is working on graphic design of Hanji's last hundredth touch by graphing the dancheong pattern. Hanji is  made of mulberry is also called "Baekii”. Because it goes through 99 times of process before completing a one sheet of hani, the hanji can only be completed after the 100th touch of the person who writes on it. Hanji has been recognized for its excellence to the extent that it was exported to the Chinese imperial family during the Goryeo and Silla periods. Dancheong is a good representation of the basic principles of design (balance, repetition, harmony, rhythm, change, contrast, symmetry). She held nine individual exhibitions, combining dancheong and Korean paper and exhibited Korean paper works at 'Mason et Objet Paris' and 'Craft Trend Fair. Recently, her dancheong mask has been released, and the work of dancheong education for children is also continuing.

Jo hana

Hana Jo

Jo Hana puts the wisdom of Gyubang in textile crafts, her work of craftsmanship arouses curiosity and interest to touch. Looking at her work of cutting, pasting, folding and sewing natural dyed fabrics by hand we can see - a wonderful craft was created. Jo Hana is thinking deeply about the importance of culture. This warmth is conveyed in the work, the richness of traditional culture is transmitted through her hands.

www.johana.co.kr

Daniel Kapelian

OMA space

OMA Space is an art and design studio based in Seoul. The team is composed by Jang Jiu (founder and director), Daniel Kapelian (art director and partner) and Kyoungyoung Gil (designer and partner). Advocating a return to nature and the embodiment of both Eastern and Western sensibilities, the studio produces work spanning the boundaries of contemporary art and design, immersive installations and garments. It has engaged in experimental work blending tradition with innovation based on the acquisition of both primitive techniques and digital tools,
with a priority emphasis on sustainable coexistence between humanity and nature throughout its design process.

omaspace.com

Minyeol-Cho

Designer, crafter, Maker

Minyeol-Cho started his work by observing people's trivial habits, jeans in particular became a center point of focus.  Cloth called jeans, which are worn and consumed too easily, were exposed in the form of fabrics that were worn out or recycled in the house. Through these discoveries, Minyeol-Cho switched to the material of the work, not the cloth, and tried to reflect the research on physical properties and the idea of continuity as a material. He thought about how he could derive utility and visual interest in various aspects of the material. Among the many problems that arise in modern society, Minyeol-Cho focuses on manufacturing by-products or materials of industrial materials to discover the proper meaning of design and craft.

Jeongche Yoon

Designer, General manager at KLIO, Mecalab

Speaking on behalf of KLIO & Mecalab, Jeon Che Yoon discusses the transition to a subscription sharing economy with important means of recycling resources and a focus on circular design. KLIO & Mecalab allows local citizens and social enterprises to collect recycled materials and participate in the resource circulation program through the upcycle toy formula car assembly program. In collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company, we produced automotive console accessory products using waste plastic and exhibited them at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. KLIO & Mecalab intends to pursue sustainability by changing the design language of mobility to make the application of recycled materials easier in the future, and attempting projects in which various stakeholders can participate.

Kliodesign.com  Mecalab.co.kr

@mecalab_by_kliodesign

Hejin Lee

Creative Director, Sonolee

The philosophy of Sonolee is based on conceptual approach inspired by the unexpected and on an extensive iconographic and visionary background. Generating results that are one-of-a-kind. Sonolee´s works are recognisable by their strong iconographic identity, based upon experimenting, continuous research on colours and materials and the contamination between various contemporary languages with the intent to provide a solution that is uniquely special and respectful of each client´s individuality.

Hanna Lee

"Jeju's soil is attractive in many ways. It contains a lot of iron, which emits beautiful light when it meets heat. Falling in love with this charming light, I quit my job and entered this path. Now, I am running a ceramic hospital called 'JIGEUM', where I repair ceramics using "Ott", a Korean traditional and natural lacquer varnish material.  My job is to bring new life into broken and cracked pottery. Recently, I am working on restoring pottery from the Joseon Dynasty that is over 500 years old."