DCB will help local fashion industries to develop their market.

 

• In July, DCB promoted dialogue with the Busan shoe and fashion industry through a meeting and sought ways to develop the shoe and fashion industry using design.
• Local business groups asked for programs to strengthen corporate competitiveness and support to expand the market to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.
• To overcome the difficulties elt by local companies, DCB participated in the 2020 SPOEX export consultation meeting with Busan-based sports companies hoping to advance into overseas markets.

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On July 6 and 8, Design Council Busan president, Dr. Kang, Kyung-tae attended a meeting that was presided over by Park Sung-hoon, Deputy Mayor of Economy of Busan to learn about about the difficulties of the shoe industry and textile fashion industry, which are experiencing severe hardships under the COVID-19 crisis, and discussed countermeasures. He received a list of suggestions from them.

The companies that attended the meeting mentioned the need for support from the Busan Metropolitan Government and related agencies. They also asked for the training from design professionals in each field, the expansion of markets through the revitalization of overseas exports, and the enactment of ordinances for systematic and continuous support.

Lee Dong-young, CEO of HAKSAN, Korea's No. 1 special shoe manufacturing company, said, “Although the domestic shoe industry has a long history and world-class technology, the design and marketing sectors are inferior to global brands.” adding, “So we need design and marketing experts who can understand the industry and connect buyers to open the market.”

Lee Ho, CEO of MIRAE C&T, asked for a platform to develop the online market amid a tough situation due to a sharp drop in sales since the COVID-19 crisis began. Park Ki-yong, CEO of Dongsan Sports, also expressed his opinion and gained empathy by saying, “Along with establishing an online platform, marketing support policies to develop the online market are also important.”

In response, DCB emphasized the importance of design once again and said that if the recent customized men's suit project goes well, it could be adapted to shoes. Besides, the company plans to promote marketing services using live commerce and social media in the Busan Fashion Creative Studio and the Small Business Support Project for Clothing Manufacturing to support textile fashion companies from Busan Metropolitan City, which have been stagnant due to COVID-19.

Dr. Kang, Kyung-tae, the president of Design Council Busan, said, “We understand and sympathize with the pain and difficulties of the textile fashion industry, including a sharp drop in offline sales due to the COVID-19 crisis. As the quality of Busan's manufacturing industry is already world-class, we should support the development of design and marketing to secure competitiveness.” adding, “We will do our best to successfully lead the expansion of long-term programs to foster design professionals and the development of smart non-face-to-face custom-made services that incorporate Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as Big Data and IoT so that companies can secure competitiveness. We will do our best to create a "specific product that visitors want to buy when they come to Busan.”