Q WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE OF ALL THE PALACES?

Gyeongbokgung Palace is a cultural heritage and tourist site representing Korea and is the most visited among the various palaces. The palace became world famous because of the BTS performance at Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and Geunjeongjeon Hall in the palace for the “Jimmy Fallon Show,” a famous talk show in the United States. I was equally inspired by their performance and decided to produce the product.

Q YOU LAUNCHED THE PRODUCT AS TWO VERSIONS, NAMELY, THE DIY KIT AND END PRODUCT.

The DIY product is for consumers to understand the palace’s beauty and enjoy its gentle and leisurely pleasant atmosphere while assembling the product. Also, I expected the consumers to successively share their assembling process and reviews on social media sites and aimed for that promotional effect. The end product is of a higher quality and comes with a case that makes it all the more excellent lighting. At the same time, consumers can continuously enjoy the elegance and traditional beauty of Korea.

Q WHAT WERE YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS DURING YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST?

My most memorable moments were when I started planning and designing the products full of imagination from scratch after being inspired by the Gyeongbokgung Palace and when the end product I worked so hard on first came out. It was quite thrilling to actually have what I had only imagined in my head in my hands.

Q WHICH PIECE OF ADVICE GIVEN BY THE JUDGES DO YOU RECALL THE MOST?

The advice that it would be good to diversify the products by launching the DIY and end products together and emphasize their eco-friendly aspect. All the materials of the product, except for the LED lights, are made of eco-friendly and traditional Korean papers, and the products do not need separate buffer materials, as they are highly durable.

Q WHAT DID YOU PAY THE MOST ATTENTION TO WHILE PRODUCING THE PRODUCT?

I worked hard to produce a product that anyone can easily make but does not feel cheap. So, I spent much time depicting and emphasizing the detailed parts of the palace. I wanted the lights to create an ambience like that of kerosene lamps, which delicately lit the palace in the olden times.

Q WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?

I plan to launch a series of all the buildings of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, including Geunjeongjeon Hall. And then, after the palace series, I will work on all the famous cultural assets and tourist sites of Korea, including modern buildings. In addition, I plan to hold DIY product classes to directly communicate and have a good time with consumers.