Dongkuk Steel Mill Group names 7 students 'Luxteelier' fellows, funds UK architecture tour

Dongkuk Steel Mill Group announced Thursday that it held a certificate ceremony at Ferrum Tower, its headquarters in Seoul's Suha-dong, officially naming seven university students as "Luxteelier" — the inaugural cohort of the 2026 Songwon Future Architecture Talent Fellowship.

Vice Chairman Jang Se-wook attended the ceremony and presented appointment certificates to the first-cohort fellows. "I hope you take pride in being selected as the first fellows through such a competitive process," Jang said. "I hope this trip to the United Kingdom becomes a valuable opportunity to experience world-class architecture and design firsthand, and to learn and grow."

He added, "I look forward to seeing you grow into a tight-knit community that exchanges ideas as members of Luxteelier and shapes the future of architecture together."

Dongkuk Steel Mill Group said it carefully reviewed applications and portfolios from 116 candidates across 43 schools, and that the final interviews — which included portfolio presentations — were evaluated by leading architecture professors, including Jang Yun-gyu of Kookmin University and Kim Jae-gyeong of Hanyang University, through a rigorous selection process.

The seven finalists are Ko Yu-jin (architecture, Konkuk University, graduate), Kim Se-yeon (architecture, Gyeonggi University, graduate), Baek Seung-jae (architecture, Inha University, current student), Oh Chang-gyeong (graduate school of architecture, Hanyang University, current student), Yoo Ji-hu (architecture, Kookmin University, graduate), Lee Su-bin (architecture, Dankook University, graduate) and Heo Sang-hyeon (interior architecture, College of Architecture and Urban Design, Hongik University, current student).

The first-cohort fellows were registered as official Luxteelier members upon receiving their certificates and will embark on a seven-day architecture study tour of the United Kingdom from Tuesday through Aug. 10. During the trip, they will attend a one-day workshop at the studio of world-renowned designer Thomas Heatherwick, tour landmark buildings in London, visit art galleries and cultural spaces, and meet with architecture professionals. The program covers all travel expenses, including flights, accommodation and meals, as well as any additional costs associated with the tour.

Luxteelier is an architecture talent network Dongkuk Steel Mill Group has operated since 2017 to identify and nurture future architecture talent. It serves as a platform for ongoing exchange among students, professionals and industry through architecture. The group plans to expand the program's scale and scope of support following the launch of the Songwon Future Architecture Talent Fellowship this year.

Dongkuk Steel Mill Group plans to select the second cohort of the Songwon Future Architecture Talent Fellowship in the first half of next year, with the aim of developing it into a distinctive annual program.

Meanwhile, Dongkuk Steel Mill Group has been actively investing in talent development, recently extending the reach of its scholarship foundation — established in honor of the late Jang Sang-tae, the group's second-generation chairman — into the field of architecture, which the group sees as closely linked to its steel business.