▲ Core / CEO Kim Hyang-sook

A solid foundation as top priority

Everything about architecture

An architect is a person who passes the qualification test administered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and performs tasks such as designing and supervising construction. Kim Hyang-sook, CEO of Core, an architectural office, has expertise in architectural design, construction supervision, demolition supervision, interior design, and real estate consulting. CEO Kim takes a solid foundation as top priority, just like the company name, CoRe. As with all things, if the foundation is not strong, it will not last long and will soon collapse.

Accidents that occur in buildings often come from a poor foundation. The pyramids of Egypt, which are often misunderstood as being built on sand, also have solid bedrock beneath them, which allows them to survive thousands of years into modern times. It is not much to say that all the buildings that remain after thousands or hundreds of years have solid foundations. Under this philosophy, CEO Kim is carrying out various projects such as performance halls, gymnasiums, neighborhood living facilities, residences, studios, warehouses, factories, interior design, and remodeling.  

Pursuing a design that maximizes the value of a building

Reflecting opinions of clients through open communication

Buildings have different characteristics. A warehouse for storing clothes and a warehouse for storing food are different in structure, necessity, and design. The same goes for living space. CEO Kim accepts all these differences and builds the building with the best choice according to the optimal requirements and conditions. In particular, what she focuses on the most is open communication with the client. As long as the client has entrusted the building to the architect, the architect has an obligation to show the best result that the client wants. So, she listens to the client’s opinions, such as whether there is a special philosophy intended by the client or whether there is a direction of life desired for the building, and reflects them to the fullest. What shines in this situation is Kim’s female meticulousness and attention to detail. Kim pursues simple and modern architecture, but if the client wants the exact opposite architecture, she carries out as required with her best. Thanks to this, the client is very satisfied with the result.  

Continuing social activities

President of Yongin Karate Federation 

CEO Kim introduces herself as a relationship-oriented person. Currently,  she is serving as a member of the Architectural Review Committee of Yongin City, a member of the Conflict Review Committee of Yongin City, and a member of the Assembly and Demonstration Advisory Committee of the Dongbu Police Station. She also served as a member of the Gyeonggi-do Construction Deliberation Committee, a member of the Yongin-si Urban Architecture Joint Deliberation Committee, a court appraiser, and a member of the Gyeonggi-do Construction Deliberation Committee. Meanwhile, she has continued her proactive engagement in social activities. In particular, she took the steering wheel of the Yonin Karate Federation last year.

The Federation holds two competitions every year, including the Yongin City President’s Cup Karate Competition and the Sports Council President’s Cup Karated Competition, and dispatches the Yongin City representative team to the Korea Open and the National Championships every year to achieve excellent results. It is notable that CEO Kim is the first female president of the Federation. Having always enjoyed sports such as badminton, golf, cycling and swimming, she accidentally made a connection with karate at the karate gym next to her office, and it came to this day. In June of this year, she provided uniforms and encouragement money to the representative team of Yongin City for the Korea Open International Karate Championships.