Gyeonggi-do Representative Character Bonggong-i Wins Excellence Award at Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival

First-time participant wins award... Advances to finals selected by public vote (50%) and expert judging (50%)
Born in 2022... Plays key role in provincial communication with cute appearance and diverse content
Will promote Gyeonggi-do brand image warmly through resident-centered communication content

‘Bonggong-i,’ the Gyeonggi Province government character created by Gyeonggi Province, won the Excellence Award in the Government and Local Government category at the 2024 Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival Awards.

The Gyeonggi Province government character 'Bonggong-i,' created by Gyeonggi Province, is receiving the Excellence Award in the Government and Local Government category at the 2024 Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

The ‘2024 Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival Awards’ is a specialized public character awards ceremony in Korea, hosted by the Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival Organizing Committee and organized by the Korea Culture Content Licensing Association and Daejeon Tourism Organization. This year’s ceremony was held on the 23rd at the DCC Daejeon Convention Center.

The judging was divided into five categories: ▲Government and Local Government ▲Public Institutions ▲Festivals ▲Popularity Award ▲Photogenic Award.

Introduced in 2022, Bonggong-i has been loved by Gyeonggi residents for its cute and friendly image. It has been praised for enhancing the Gyeonggi Province brand value through diverse content ranging from 2D and 3D animations to reels and mascot costume videos.

Bonggong-i’s popularity also extended to merchandise sales. The Bonggong-i goods, released in collaboration with local vulnerable group self-support organizations, received great response, selling out shortly after the launch of the online smart store. As of the end of October, sales from Bonggong-i’s online smart store reached 146 million KRW.

The offline store, which opened in April this year on the first floor of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Building (30 Docheong-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si), also achieved sales exceeding 100 million KRW within 11 months.

Gyeonggi Province attributes the popularity of Bonggong-i goods to customized product planning that resonates with Gyeonggi residents, as well as the fact that all profits are returned to support local neighbors, embodying value-based consumption.

Recently, Bonggong-i won the ‘Grand Prize’ in the Instagram category at the ‘10th 2024 SNS of the Year’ awards (presented by the Korea Social Content Promotion Association).

Lee Won-il, Director of Public Relations Planning at Gyeonggi Province, said, “We are very pleased and proud that many people recognize the charm of Gyeonggi Province’s character Bonggong-i. We will continue to promote Bonggong-i in a more friendly way through opportunities created together with residents.”

Gyeonggi Province plans to continue resident-centered brand marketing, including the ‘Gyeonggi Province Brand Promotion Content Contest,’ which attracted attention with 855 submissions, as well as operating brand promotion centers and expanding reels content.

Bonggong-i is Gyeonggi Province’s government character, named by vertically arranging the consonants of the core values of the 8th elected administration, ‘Change’ and ‘Opportunity’: ‘bieup (ㅂ) + hieut (ㅎ)’ and ‘giyeok (ㄱ) + hieut (ㅎ). It also embodies the dictionary meaning of Bonggong (奉公), which means serving the public and working diligently for the country and society as a public official.