Jongwon Na, Minho Kim, Sungjin Shin, and Kyungmin Son Named Recipients of This Year's Young Architect Award

The Ministry Evaluates Excellence in Public Architecture and Urban Integration
42 Teams Applied, 3 Selected; Awards Ceremony at Korean Architecture Festival in October
Key Projects Include Namhae Local Food Store, Boryeong Youth Center, and Yeongju Community Center

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has selected three teams as recipients of this year's Young Architect Award: Jongwon Na, Co-CEO of Of Architecture; Minho Kim, CEO of Code Architects; and Sungjin Shin and Kyungmin Son, CEO and Head Architect of Bold Architects.

2026 Young Architect Award Winners. From left: Jongwon Na, Co-CEO of Of Architecture; Minho Kim, CEO of Code Architects; Seongjin Shin and Kyungmin Son, Chief Architects of Bold Architects. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Ministry announced on September 9 that it had chosen the winners of the 2026 Young Architect Award in collaboration with the New Architects Association, the Korean Institute of Architects, and the Korean Women Architects Association. Forty-two teams applied for this year's competition, and the final winners were decided after a two-phase process consisting of a document review and a public presentation.

The judging committee evaluated each architect comprehensively, considering the fundamentals and attitude, the evolution of architectural thought, understanding of society and the city, and the public role of architecture. In addition to the level of completion of each project, the jury emphasized authenticity as an architect and a commitment to making a positive impact on society as key criteria.

Jongwon Na designed projects such as the Yeonsu-gu Youth Center in Songdo, Incheon, and a local food direct sales store in Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province. The jury noted that “by adhering to the fundamentals of contemporary architecture while employing a restrained attitude and meticulous attention to detail, he demonstrates new possibilities for public architecture.” They praised his thorough approach to the relationship between program and space and his consistency in carrying the design intent through to construction. Jongwon Na graduated from the AA School of Architecture in the UK, worked at 6a architects, and taught at UCL Bartlett.

Minho Kim presented major works including the Boryeong Youth Center in South Chungcheong Province, Jeongdongjin Train Station in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, and the integrated government vessel office at Daecheon Port. The jury particularly noted his active interpretation of the existing building conditions at Boryeong Youth Center and his ability to enhance the quality of both space and construction despite limited budgets and resources. The committee also cited his detailed exploration of the relationship between surrounding context and architecture, as well as his pursuit of new design approaches, as reasons for selection.

Co-winners Sungjin Shin and Kyungmin Son designed the Theium Community Center in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province; the Startup Support Hub in Wonju, Gangwon Province; and the Bongdam Wow Library in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The jury praised their consistent treatment of planning, construction, materials, and detail in the Yeongju Community Center, stating, “Based on different perspectives, they rigorously coordinate the relationship between context and city and realize rational ideas in highly refined architectural works.”

The Young Architect Award, established by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2008, aims to identify and foster outstanding emerging architects. Awardees receive the Minister's Award, with this year’s ceremony scheduled for October during the Korean Architecture Festival. The festival will also feature an exhibition showcasing the winners’ works and architectural achievements.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.