【Jongno Distr】Jongno’s K-Jewelry Aims to Captivate the World from Italy

Jongno’s jewelry is heading to the world market. Jongno District announced plans on the 16th to pioneer overseas markets with its K-Jewelry brand, developed in cooperation with local jewelry companies.
The district will support selected local jewelry companies in participating in international exhibitions, focusing on expanding global sales channels and enhancing brand value. The Italian ‘VICENZAORO’, one of the world’s top three jewelry fairs, is expected to be an opportunity to verify the competitiveness of K-Jewelry on the international stage.

Although the Korean jewelry industry possesses globally recognized craftsmanship, it lacks leading representative brands in the global market. Despite excellent skills, evidenced by 27 consecutive wins in international skills competitions, low recognition has prevented it from gaining significant attention overseas. The district aims to lead a strategic shift away from a structure centered on domestic and offline sales, towards expanding online and overseas distribution bases.

VICENZAORO is a global fair with a 70-year history. It is considered a key event in the jewelry industry, attracting major buyers from Europe and the Middle East. This year, it is being held from January 16th to 20th in Vicenza, a center for the apparel and jewelry industries and one of the wealthiest cities in Italy.
The fair comprehensively exhibits finished precious metal jewelry (gemstones and semi-precious stones), semi-finished products, accessories, manufacturing equipment technology, packaging displays, and the watch industry, with participation from about 1,300 companies from 36 countries. The number of visitors is estimated to reach about 35,000 from 141 countries.

The district will establish and operate a 30㎡ joint pavilion featuring four participating companies: ‘MitsunoiV’, ‘Soyou’, ‘Heradi’, and ‘The Yeowoon’. They plan to promote the value and technological prowess of Korean jewelry by prominently featuring the ‘Jongno’ brand. Furthermore, on the 17th of this month, they plan to sign a business agreement with the exhibition organizer IEG (Italian Exhibition Group), which receives support from the Italian Ministry of Industry, promising mutual cooperation in the jewelry industry. Key aspects of the agreement include exchanges of research, technology, and resources related to the jewelry industry, and participation in exhibitions and workshops through mutual invitations.

The district is pouring effort into supporting the jewelry industry and talent cultivation. Last year, 16 graduates of Jongno District’s K-Jewelry Artificial Intelligence (AI) education program won awards at the ‘International Jewelry Design Competition’, Korea’s premier jewelry design contest. This educational program is a collaborative project between the district, the University of Seoul, the Wolgok Jewelry Industry Promotion Foundation, and the Future Jewelry Academy. Reflecting the characteristics of small-scale workshops, which account for 98% of the industry, the practical, job-focused curriculum received a highly positive response for its immediate applicability in the field.
To revitalize communication and collaboration within the jewelry industry, the ‘Korean Jewelry Industry Terminology Dictionary’ was also published. This is the first attempt to investigate and organize field terminology used in the industry to establish a common language foundation. It contains about 2,000 related terms from manufacturing, gemology, and other fields, and plans are to publish it as an e-book.