As the standard of Korean architecture has advanced in recent years, Kim Jin-ai, chief commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Architecture Policy, called Friday for a fundamental shift in how the country approaches public architecture — urging planners to prioritize process and long-term planning over headline-grabbing iconic designs.
“Politicians are often preoccupied with building projects to rack up visible achievements of their own, without enough consideration of why a particular public facility is truly needed,” Kim said at the press conference in Seoul on Friday.
“At times, I find myself wondering why a building stands where it does and what function it truly serves for citizens — which shows how important the planning process really is.”
Kim stressed that while the design quality of Korean architecture has improved overall, the decision-making process behind public building projects often lacks sufficient research and public discussion on why such facilities are needed in the first place.
“For instance, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza is, in my view, an example of how one can be misguided by an overemphasis on form — it has a striking appearance, but lacks function as a meaningful public space for citizens,” she said.
Constructing a building may be relatively straightforward, but shaping a public space that people can use meaningfully requires a far more delicate and inclusive process, she added.
The Presidential Commission on Architecture Policy serves as an advisory body to the President, while acting as a bridge between the private sector, public institutions and civil society.
Following the official launch of its eighth commission in December, led by Kim, the body convened its first joint plenary meeting earlier this year to adopt three key policy goals and nine priority tasks, and to form task forces.
One of the task forces focuses on reforming the Public Architect System, which Kim described as having fallen into “mannerism” after 15 years of implementation and as now being in urgent need of renewal. First introduced in Seoul in 2012 and subsequently adopted by local governments nationwide, the system appoints private-sector architects to participate in public building projects from the planning stage to help ensure procedural consistency and professional oversight.
“Public officials need to take a more active and responsible role,” Kim said. “Too often, responsibilities are effectively shifted to appointed public architects throughout the process.”
"We believe it is time to reassess whether the system is functioning as intended, and we are working to develop policy measures to improve its implementation,” she added.
yunapark@heraldcorp.com
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