Design Inspired by M and D from Myeongdong's Hangul Initials... 'SUN' and 'MOON' Meaning Sun and Moon Made Easy to Pronounce as SUNi and MUNi
[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seoyangho) has unveiled 'Sunimuni,' the character representing Myeongdong, the mecca of tourism.
'Sunimuni,' designed based on the Korean initials 'ㅁ' and 'ㄷ' of Myeongdong, symbolizes the sun and moon, meaning to illuminate Myeongdong in the world. To make it easy for foreigners to pronounce, the names were given as Suni (SUNi) and Muni (MUNi), adding a sense of familiarity.
Suni (SUNi), fitting for a character of Myeongdong, the center of fashion and shopping, is interested in clothes and cosmetics, enjoys shopping as a hobby, and is always full of bright energy. Muni (MUNi), with chic charm, is interested in culture and arts, enjoys listening to K-pop, and plans to promote Myeongdong as the center of culture and arts.
Recently, due to COVID-19, visits from foreigners such as Chinese and Japanese have stopped, causing serious damage to the Myeongdong area.
The Myeongdong character project was promoted by local residents coming together to activate visits from domestic tourists as well as not relying solely on foreign tourists. To revive the representative image of Myeongdong, the center of culture, arts, and fashion, Myeongdong staff and residents actively participated through last year's Dong government resident participation project.
The Myeongdong Resident Center held a character contest in September last year through the online designer platform 'Loudsourcing' and selected three works through the first screening by a panel of design experts. Then, at the 'Myeongdong Village Assembly,' the final design was selected based on votes from local residents and Myeongdong visitors, confirming the design.
A resident center official said that local residents formed the 'Myeongdong Character Utilization Project Promotion Committee' and plan to start marketing communication activities using the character from the second half of this year, linking various goods production and sales activities.
Going forward, 'Sunimuni' will serve as a promotional ambassador to introduce Myeongdong as a global tourist city to foreign visitors and act as a friend who can communicate and interact with citizens.
Seoyangho, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, "The birth of Sunimuni is meaningful as a result created by joining forces with residents," adding, "We will restore Myeongdong's reputation as a representative tourist destination of Korea, not just a shopping space, so that not only foreign tourists but also domestic visitors will come again."
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