Gimhae is a city with a long tradition of crafts. Well known for Gaya pottery and Buncheong ware during the Joseon Dynasty, the traditional arts sector in Gimhae is currently developing into a full blown creative industry through modernization projects, such as the development of daily necessities for modern society and the application of new technologies as building materials. Gimhae is home to some 240 craft companies, and its Workshop Village provides an essential creative space in which many of the companies engage in creation, experiential education, and trades. Moreover, the city holds several institutions for ceramic arts including the Clayarch Gimhae Museum, the world's first architectural ceramics museum, and the Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Museum, established to pass on and further develop Buncheong ware. The city aims to support its ceramics industry and develop it into a more creative sector.
As a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, the following steps will be important:
- Implementing a creative industry based on culture, notably through the innovation of the ceramic arts tradition;
- Integrating a citizen-led approach into its development plan as a Creative City; and
- Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level, notably those on education, gender equality and sustainable cities.
