'Hamo' Sculpture in Front of Jinju Station... Delivering Positive Energy to Visitors

Demolition and Larger New Installation Due to Aging of Existing Sculpture

Hamo sculpture reinstalled in front of Jinju Station.
[Image source: Provided by Jinju City]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] The ‘Hamo’ sculpture, the tourism character of Jinju City installed in front of Jinju Station in Gyeongnam, was removed due to aging and has been reinstalled in a larger size.

Jinju City removed the old and worn ‘Hamo’ sculpture in front of Jinju Station, which was installed to welcome visitors to Jinju, and reinstalled a ‘Hamo’ sculpture about twice the size of the original.

‘Hamo’ is Jinju City’s tourism character modeled after the otters inhabiting the Namgang River and Jinyang Lake in Jinju. The name ‘Hamo’ is derived from a Jinju dialect word with a positive meaning. The shell on its head and the pearl necklace around its neck symbolically represent Jinju City.

A city official said, “Since Jinju Station is the first face for visitors to Jinju City, ‘Hamo’ welcomes visitors with a smile, conveying positive energy and the bright image of Jinju City.”

Currently, Hamo is also featured in a public art exhibition at Geumhoji, and an online event related to this is ongoing until the end of this month.