NEWS

New York, NY – April 8, 2026: The 2026 New York Festivals® KOREA-National Brand Awards (The 2026 NYF K-NBA)’ ceremony, hosted by the New York Festivals was held on Thursday, April 2 at Lotte Hotel Seoul.  The NYF K-NBA recognizes Korea’s most competitive and valuable national brands through its proprietary National Brand Competitiveness Index (NCI), developed in 2009.

At this year’s ceremony, Ellen Smyth, CEO of New York Festivals, delivered congratulatory remarks, noting, “Korea continues to lead with bold thinking and world-class creativity. The work emerging from this market is not only innovative but fearless, resonating across borders, exactly the kind of work New York Festivals is proud to recognize.” She added, “Today, we celebrate excellence and look ahead with excitement for what lies ahead.”

In his keynote address, “How to Win a NYF Trophy,” Donald J. Gherardi, Director at New York Festivals, emphasized that success at NYF demands ideas that transcend convention, work that challenges expectations and asks, “Show us something we haven’t seen,” underscoring the Festival’s commitment to fearless creative innovation.

The year’s ceremony also honored Chun Jong-ki, Chairman of the Seegene Medical Foundation, with induction into the New York Festivals Hall of Fame. Chairman Chun founded the organization to advance medical, health, and social welfare initiatives, growing it from Korea’s leading specialized disease testing institution into a globally recognized healthcare foundation.

The 2026 NYF K-NBA selects Korea’s top national brands across three divisions,Industrial, Place, and Culture, based on evaluations from both domestic and international consumers. Industrial and Place categories are assessed via the NCI system, while Culture brands are selected through public evaluation.

2026 Award Winning Brands

This year, a total of 62 brands were recognized: 0 in the Industrial Division, 15 in the Place Division (including cities and agri-food brands), and 7 in the Culture Division.

Several brands continued their legacy of excellence with consecutive-year recognition, reflecting sustained consumer trust and long-term competitiveness. These include Lotte World Adventure (17 consecutive years), Dawn 808 (17 years), Kia Members (15 years), Buyeo Goodttrae (15 years), LG U+ Home Service (14 years), Together ice cream (14 years), Goesan County (14 years), Siwon School (12 years), Yeosu City (11 years), Uljin County (11 years), and Walkerhill (10 years), among others.

Newly recognized Industrial Division brands this year include Hanjin (logistics), KOICA (public sector), LocknLock (airtight containers), Kyungsung Cultural Press (publishing), Denmark Hej! (fermented milk), Vainer (footwear), Samjin Amook (fish cakes), Woongjin Freedlife (funeral services), LG Pure Water Purifier, KCC (window materials), Cuckoo Inspure Bidet, Pigeon (fabric softener), and Hana Bank.

In the Place Division, new honorees include Seosan City (Sunrise Seosan), Yongin Special City (city identity/CI), Uljin County (Lifelong Care City), and Icheon City (King’s Brand Icheon Hanwoo).

In the Culture Division, the group award was presented to the Seoul Metropolitan Opera under the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts (President Ahn Ho-sang). The work award went to “Dreams of Age” by Su Company. Individual honorees included Hwa-Ja Kang, Chairwoman of Beseto Opera Company; contemporary jazz artist Danny Jung; and Western painter Kim Si-hyun.

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Entries to each of the competitions are judged around the world by panels of peers in their respective industries. For more information, go to www.newyorkfestivals.com.