AGO Lighting

AGO is a Korean lighting company that searches for a balance between beauty and function with light.

Creating objects means recording today’s history. AGO develops every object with the consideration that our work will remain as a document of today. Together with our accomplished designers, we craft every object to be distinctive and bold with a meticulous attention to detail.

The brand AGO cannot be detached from where it’s located, an area of central Seoul named Euljiro. Historically Euljiro has been at the heart of Korean industry. Many small factories and workshops remain and it is where AGO started, collaborating with the skilled craftsmen and makers of the area.

For the past 20 years, Euljiro has been the place to go to make everything. There is a saying in Korean “You can even make a tank at Euljiro”. All the factories are gathered in the central area of Korea and collaborate with neighbouring factories. They have been sustaining with each other in the industrial developing time from the 80s and 90s. As all the manufacturing processes become automated, all specialist who works with their hands become less competitive to survive in the market. After the mass production become standardized, the Euljiro area only become place to make smaller batch production or customized pieces.

Mother company of AGO has been located in Euljiro with 20 years of experience in the production and distribution of lighting in Korea. The founder of the brand AGO, Woobok Lee, with this experience and knowledge, he decided to take the next step and establish a new lighting brand, AGO, with the design director, Mars Hwasung Yoo. Mars is an industrial designer based in Stockholm who founded his studio BYMARS in 2010 has been working with established design brands. He is best known for the HAT lamp, and has been designing other lamps. These two core members become the roots of the brand AGO.

With the close connection of the local workshops and industry, AGO aims to expand within Korea and reach new international markets by well curated design language. For our next phase goal would be supporting the workers, craft and workshops of Euljiro and preserve the rich history and knowledge of the area.

AGO values simple, honest and refined aesthetics. We collaborate with designers who share these values and make their ideas possible through our dedication to production. We acknowledge that every detail defines the product. Through using our own production and working with our local craft manufactures we can ensure full control of the quality, from each parting line to the final finish, nothing over looked.

Nowadays, the line between residential and commercial space has become increasingly blurred. Home office or co-working spaces, informal meeting and workspaces hot desks and virtual offices all drive a new demand for flexible and creative lighting. We believe we create lighting that defines spaces. The importance of light in each space should never be overlooked, so we encourage our lighting to be the starting point to create a space. Many of AGOs collection offers lighting options that can be specified by architects and designers.

AGO is located in an area of central Seoul named Euljiro. Historically Euljiro has been at the heart of Korean manufacturing industry. Many small factories and workshops remain and it is here we work, collaborating with the skilled craftsmen and artisans of the area. Our name, AGO, is derived from Korean for old friends — a reference to our region's history and the new friendships we hope to forge.