Why Did "Haebeomi" and "Bbubbu" Go to Gwangju?... BPA Characters Connect with the World

Why did Haebeomi and Bbubbu head to Gwangju?

Busan Port Authority (BPA, President Song Sanggeun) has been invited to the '2025 Gwangju ACE Fair' held at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju from August 28 to 31. Haebeomi and Bbubbu were invited as outstanding public institution characters, and the authority will operate a promotional booth at the event.

This event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Gwangju Metropolitan City, has been held annually since 2006. It is the only convergence content IP exhibition in Korea that covers characters, animation, and digital content (AI, metaverse), among others. This year, 400 companies from 33 countries around the world are participating, and more than 44,000 visitors are expected to attend.

BPA's orca characters, Haebeomi and Bbubbu, were revamped in July 2022 and have since been used in various ways, including commemorative KakaoTalk emoticons, character merchandise (goods), and promotional content for Busan Port policies.

At the exhibition, various information will be provided to help visitors understand the international status and role of Busan Port, the world's second-largest transshipment port. In addition, limited-edition summer goods will be introduced in conjunction with SNS events.

Going forward, BPA plans to support small business owners by opening up intellectual property rights for product development and to contribute to the revitalization of related industries and the local economy.

Song Sanggeun, President of BPA, said, "By utilizing our cute orca characters, we aim to strengthen communication with the public and expand the Busan Port brand not only in the Busan region but nationwide through events and SNS campaigns. We will continue to actively promote Busan Port and BPA to the public through various promotional activities."