Hanam City: "This Is the Hanam City Class"
Urban Branding Goes 'Hip' Across Fashion and the Screen
Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) is accelerating its rise as a "K-Culture Hub City" by enhancing its urban value through differentiated city branding strategies, such as collaborations with fashion brands and the use of movie fonts.
At the Starfield Hanam SPAO store, a T-shirt featuring Hanam City's characters 'Hanami & Banguli' alongside SPAO's representative character 'Woody' was released as an exclusive product to commemorate the opening on the 8th, attracting many visitors. Photo by Hanam City
On September 8, Hanam City's identity boldly made its way into citizens' wardrobes. At the newly opened Starfield Hanam SPAO store, a T-shirt featuring Hanam City's characters "Hanami & Banguli" alongside SPAO's representative character "Woody" was released as an exclusive product to commemorate the opening, attracting many visitors. This collaboration is particularly meaningful as it marks the first time a basic local government character has partnered with a well-known domestic fashion brand in Korea.
Going beyond a simple souvenir, this T-shirt has emerged as a "wearable symbol of Hanam." It sold out over the weekend following an explosive response on its first day of sales, proving that city branding can directly engage with citizens.
This collaboration carries even greater significance as the enthusiastic interest of citizens is being channeled into community sharing. The proceeds from the project will be used to provide 500 pieces of clothing to neighbors in need.
While the SPAO collaboration has brought joy to citizens' daily lives, the city's philosophy has already been engraved in the minds of the public through the letters on the screen.
Previously, Hanam City garnered attention in the cultural sector when its exclusive font, "Hanamdawoomche," was adopted as a key element throughout the worldview of the movie "Omniscient Reader," which was released last July. Rather than simply serving as a city symbol, it was an unprecedented case in which the spirit of the city-"dynamism within stability"-became the driving force behind a cultural content, further deepening Hanam City's branding.
Hanam City attracted attention in the cultural sector as the city's exclusive font, "Hanamdawoomche," was adopted as a key element throughout the worldview of the movie "Omniscient Reader," which was released last July. Photo by Hanam City
These recent moves, spanning both fashion and the screen, are only the beginning. Hanam City's ultimate goal is to become a "K-Culture Hub City" by infusing its urban identity into cultural content, going beyond mere promotion. At the heart of this ambition lies the "K-Star World" project, a multi-purpose complex equipped with everything from planning to distribution.
This site is set to become a core base for South Korea's rise as one of the "Global Big Five Cultural Powerhouses." It will feature a state-of-the-art K-pop exclusive concert hall with a capacity of 20,000 to 30,000 seats for global artists such as BTS and Blackpink, as well as a world-class film studio where content surpassing "Squid Game" will be created. The goal is to establish a "complete ecosystem" for K-Culture, encompassing everything from creation and distribution to industrialization, rather than simply constructing facilities.
In addition, Hanam City is simultaneously implementing everyday cultural policies that lay the creative foundation for future generations, alongside its broader vision. A prime example is the "Ani Gallery" youth creative exhibition, which was held at Misa Library last April in collaboration with Korea Animation High School.
Mayor Lee Hyunjae stated, "We are embedding the city's philosophy into every character beloved by citizens and every font used in our content," adding, "From the K-Star World project to youth creative exhibitions, we will put into practice a cultural city strategy that connects daily life with the world, propelling Hanam to become Korea's leading K-Culture Hub City."
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