#Guidelines

Competition Administration, Disqualification and Disputes

1. Questions and Official Notices

1. Questions are accepted only through the designated form and channel on the Competition website.
2. Informal explanations given in response to individual telephone, email, or in-person enquiries do not form part of the Competition conditions and have no binding effect.
3. Official answers will be made available equally to all entrants without identifying the questioners.

2. Disqualification, Revocation of Selection and Recovery of Payments

a) Grounds for Exclusion from Stage 1 Review or Disqualification

• Submission after the deadline or material omission of required documents
• The submitted Proposal File cannot be opened or otherwise cannot be properly evaluated
• A material breach of anonymity in which the entrant’s identity is revealed in the proposal content, including by name, company name, logo, or similar identifier
• Duplicate participation, failure to satisfy eligibility requirements, or confirmation of any ineligibility ground
• False or forged evidence concerning eligibility, authority to represent, or similar matters
• Contacting or soliciting a juror, or otherwise attempting to improperly influence the evaluation
• Plagiarism or misappropriation, or submission of a proposal substantially identical to a work that has already won another competition, is concurrently entered in another competition, or has already been publicly disclosed or commercialised
• Infringement of a third party’s copyright, trademark, design right, or other right

b) Grounds for Disqualification or Revocation of Selection during Stage 2 Design Development

• Failure to meet the Stage 2 submission deadline or material omission of required deliverables
• Refusal, without justifiable reason, to execute the Design Development Agreement or perform the assignment
• A material change or false statement concerning eligibility, team composition, authority to represent, or similar matters
• Contacting or soliciting a juror, or otherwise attempting to improperly influence the evaluation
• Plagiarism or misappropriation in the submitted deliverables, or infringement of third-party rights
• External disclosure of proposal images or specific content before announcement of the Final Results in a manner that materially compromises the fairness of the evaluation

c) A minor formal error that does not affect fairness or the substance of the proposal and can be anonymised or corrected directly by the Host need not result in disqualification. However, no particular team will be given an opportunity for additional submission or substantive supplementation that is not equally available to others.

d) Selection may be revoked after advancement to Stage 2 or after final selection if a material violation is confirmed, including an ineligibility ground, false or forged evidence, plagiarism or misappropriation, third-party rights infringement, or refusal without justifiable reason to execute an agreement or perform the assignment.

e) Disqualification, revocation of selection, and recovery of Service Fees will be governed by the grounds and procedures set out in these Guidelines and the applicable agreement entered into under these Guidelines. Specific response procedures, the scope of recovery, and settlement upon early termination will be specified in the applicable agreement.

3. Withdrawal by a Stage 2 Team

If a Stage 2 team withdraws before executing the Design Development Agreement or its selection is revoked for ineligibility, the Host, in consultation with Busan Metropolitan City, may verify the Jury ranking and eligibility and select the next-ranked team, proceed with the remaining team only, or cancel Stage 2. The applicable approach will be announced on the same basis to all entrants.

4. Amendment, Suspension or Cancellation of the Competition

1. The Competition may be amended, suspended, or cancelled in the event of natural disasters, policy or budget changes, an insufficient number of valid proposals, confirmed system failures, or other unavoidable public-interest grounds.
2. Changes to core conditions will be announced by corrigendum or amended notice. If Stage 2 is discontinued after commencement for reasons not attributable to the entrants, work actually performed will be settled in accordance with the criteria specified in the applicable agreement.

5. Personal Information and Records Management

1. At Stage 1, only the minimum personal information necessary for participant identification, contact, and eligibility verification will be collected.
2. Bank account, tax, and remittance information will be collected separately only from payment recipients, such as Stage 2 teams and the Final Winning Team.
3. Personal information and identity documents of unselected entrants will be destroyed without delay after the retention period specified in [Form 4] expires or the purpose of processing has been achieved. Where retention is required under applicable law or records-management standards, those requirements apply.
4. Records relating to selection, agreements, payments, and disputes will be retained for the periods prescribed by applicable law and internal records/accounting rules.
5. Key images and Competition records for which separate consent has been obtained may be retained and used within the scope of that consent.

6. Use after Announcement of Final Results

1. After announcement of the Final Results, entrants may include their participation and submitted proposal in their own portfolio
2. Entrants must not disclose technical materials provided confidentially by the Host, personal information, or third-party trade secrets.
3. The Host may publish the team name, representative, project title, images, and Jury’s general comments for selected and winning teams

7. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

1. The parties will endeavour to resolve disputes arising from the Competition through consultation.
2. Copyright or idea-related disputes that cannot be resolved by consultation may be referred to mediation by a specialist body such as the Korea Copyright Commission. Other disputes will be governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea and resolved by a court of competent jurisdiction under applicable law.

8. Matters Not Provided for in These Guidelines

Matters not provided for in these Guidelines will be determined by the Host in consultation with Busan Metropolitan City in accordance with applicable law, the purpose of the Competition, and the principles of fairness, transparency, and equal treatment. Any matter affecting entrants’ rights or obligations or the Competition conditions will be announced on the official Competition website.