Korea Design and Packaging Center
The Korea Design and Packaging Center (KDPC) is a design promotion institution established in May 1970 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Since its establishment, it has changed its name several times and continues to exist in its current form as the Korea Institute of Design Promotion. In April 1970, under the direction of the Minister Lee Naksun, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry quickly merged three organizations related to packaging and design, which were the Korea Packaging Technology Association, the Korea Export Design Center, and the Korea Export Goods Packaging Center within a month and formed the Korea Design and Packaging Center (KDPC). At the time of its foundation, the KDPC was located at 128, Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the Korea Export Design Center was located. Its purpose was to “contribute to the increase of exports and national economic development by improving design and packaging technology, supplying outstanding export packaging materials at low prices, and conducting projects for research and development.” The Minister Lee Laksun served as its first chairman. Since November of the year of its establishment, the KDPC has published the bulletin Dijain Pojang (Design and Packaging). In 1971, it began to organize the Korea Commerce and Industry Art Exhibition (present-day Korea International Design Award), which was previously hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 1972, it joined the International Council of Graphic Design Association (ICOGRADA). In addition, the KDPC engaged in various activities, such as research and development of design and packaging technology, establishment of design-related systems, exchanges with international organizations, the holding of exhibitions, and the publication of books and periodicals. For example, it implemented the system of selecting excellent design products in 1985 and produced official posters for the Asian Games in the same year. In 1991, it was renamed the Korea Institute of Industrial Design and Packaging Development and then the Korea Institute of Industrial Design Promotion in 1997. After being renamed the Korea Institute of Design Promotion in 2001, it was relocated to the Korea Design Center in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do Province.
Korea Export Design Center
The Korea Export Design Center (KEDC) is the new name that the Korea Institute of Crafts and Design [Hanguk gongye dijain yeoguso], a corporation that opened in July 1966, acquired in March 1969 through the amendment of its incorporation articles. In September 1965, a decision was made to establish a provisional institute of craft technology during an export expansion meeting held at Cheongwadae (Blue House). In April 1966, the construction of the institute was finalized at 128, Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. In July of the same year, the Minister of Commerce and Industry approved the establishment of the institute, and it was officially launched. The first chairman of the board was Park Gapseong, who was the dean of the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University; the first director was Lee Soonsuk, who was a professor in the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University; and the rest of its researchers, including the first researcher Bu Sueon, were mostly from the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University. Around 1969, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry requested the institute to develop designs for export products rather than academic designs. During this process, its name was changed. It was renamed the Korea Design Center (KDC) in February 1969 and the Korea Export Design Center in March 1969. In August 1969, the institute began publishing the magazine Gyegan Dijain (Quarterly Design). The magazine was published four times until Spring 1970. After being renamed the design center, the institute stated that it would “contribute to national economic development by researching and devising scientific and aesthetic designs for new products under the three pillars of “New Idea, New Plan, New Life” and endeavor to serve as the general headquarters for the improvement of design culture.” In May 1970, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched the Korea Design and Packaging Center by merging three organizations (the Korea Export Design Center, the Korea Packaging Technology Association, and the Korea Export Goods Packaging Center), which became the Korea Institute of Design Promotion.