[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] It has been revealed that a total of 29,970 entries were submitted for the naming contest of the Yongsan Presidential Office. This is the highest number of participants since the launch of the National Idea Box in 2016.
The Presidential Office announced on the 16th that the naming contest for the 'Yongsan Presidential Office,' which was held for one month starting April 15, has now closed.
According to the submitted entries, many suggestions included names symbolizing the people such as ▲Gukmin-ui Jip (House of the People) ▲Gukmin-gwan (People’s Hall) ▲Minbongwan (People-oriented Hall), as well as names using the Yongsan area like 'Yongsan-dae,' and names reflecting the road address of the Presidential Office such as 'Itaewon-ro 22.' There were also various ideas including pure Korean words like 'Onsaemiro' and 'Neonauri,' foreign loanwords like 'K-House,' and names that directly reflect the building’s role and function such as 'Daetongryeong Jibmusil' (Presidential Office) and 'Daetongryeongsil' (President’s Office).
The Presidential Office plans to announce the final name in June after evaluations by a panel of citizens and experts and a public preference survey in May, according to the schedule.
The judging panel will consist of about 10 members, including experts from various fields such as cultural history, spatial geography, architecture, linguistics, and public relations, as well as the longest-serving Presidential Office employees, native Yongsan residents, and respected community figures who volunteer for disadvantaged neighbors. Women and youth will also be included as judges to ensure that representatives from all walks of life can express diverse opinions.
Meanwhile, the naming contest awards include a grand prize of 6 million KRW for one winner, a excellence prize of 3 million KRW for one winner, and encouragement prizes of 1 million KRW each for three winners.
The Presidential Office expressed gratitude to the citizens who participated in the contest and stated, "We will continue to do our best to meet these expectations and humbly uphold the will of the people as we build a new nation for the people."
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