A promotional poster for Busan's new seafood pizza developed with local chain Lee Jaemo Pizza / Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City

How does a global city of design celebrate its status? If you are Busan, the answer is simple: put the ocean on a pizza.

To mark the first anniversary of being named the World Design Capital for 2028, city officials in Korea’s bustling southern port city teamed up with local culinary icon Lee Jaemo Pizza to launch the "Busan Ocean Pizza" — or, more formally, the "WDC Pizza."

Unveiled Tuesday in the lively Seomyeon shopping district, the pie marks the famous pizzeria’s first seafood signature dish. It also serves as a lighthearted attempt to make design a tangible — and edible — part of everyday life.

Rather than relying on abstract art, the pizza’s design is aggressively regional.

It comes topped with local pollock fishcakes from homegrown brand Goresa Eomuk, shaped to resemble the rolling waves of Gwangalli Beach. Tossed alongside are local salted pollack roe and spring onions harvested in nearby Gijang County.

To wash it down, the collaboration features a dark violet beverage called "WDC Midnight Purple." The drink blends red, meant to symbolize civic passion, and blue, representing the open ocean, to mimic the official color scheme of the city’s upcoming 2028 design designation.

"The 2028 World Design Capital is about discovering the value of design right in our citizens' daily lives," Mayor Chun Jae-soo said during the launch. "We plan to build up our city's charm by collaborating with local businesses through creative design."

The initiative reflects a push by local officials to combine public policy with private sector charm. Busan, which saw a record influx of international tourists last year, hopes the edible branding will appeal to visitors, food influencers and cruise passengers seeking to taste local flavor.

Starting Wednesday, the city will run a social media contest offering free pizza vouchers through August, alongside limited-edition commemorative refrigerator magnets given to in-store diners.

For a city built on shipping lanes and seaside culture, turning municipal branding into comfort food may prove to be its most digestible innovation yet.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.