Recognized for Promoting City Policies in Daily Life and Encouraging Citizen Participation
Praised for High Usability and Familiarity Through Wedding Performances and More
Gwangju's representative character 'Bitdori' received the Excellence Award in the Government and Local Government category at the '2025 Korea Local Government Public Character Festival' held at Daejeon Convention Center on the 13th. Photo by Gwangju City
Gwangju's representative character, 'Bitdori,' received the Excellence Award in the Government and Local Government category at the '2025 Korea Local Government Public Character Festival' held at the Daejeon Convention Center on the 13th.
The 'Character Festival,' co-hosted by the Daejeon Tourism Organization and the Korea Cultural Content Licensing Association, selected outstanding characters from government, local governments, and public institutions. The selection was based on a combination of expert evaluations (50%) and a national online vote (50%), with criteria including design completeness, usability, public familiarity, and brand value.
'Bitdori' received high marks not only for its design but also for the stories and participatory activities created together with citizens. 'Bitdori' has become a familiar presence in various citizen participation events, online communication content, and souvenir production, leading the way in promoting municipal policies in daily life.
In particular, last year, the introduction of his girlfriend character 'Bitnayeong' and the development of youth-oriented stories helped make 'Bitdori' even more relatable to citizens. The growth of the 'Bitdori Family'-from romance and marriage (promoting youth marriage support policies), to pregnancy and childbirth (introducing maternal and newborn health support systems), to parenting and education (guidance on childcare and care services), and youth employment (employment and entrepreneurship policies)-has become a channel for communicating life-cycle policies in a more approachable way, allowing citizens to experience these policies firsthand.
On 'Gwangju Citizen's Day,' the wedding performance of 'Bitdori' and 'Bitnayeong' attracted significant attention. This unique event, featuring characters from across the country, helped promote the city's outdoor public wedding venue, 'Garden of Light,' and created special memories and laughter for citizens.
On the 14th, spokesperson Park Gwangseok stated, "Bitdori has grown by laughing and empathizing with citizens, which is why we were honored with this award. We will continue to promote policies that citizens can truly feel and strengthen communication in daily life through the 'Bitdori Family.'"
Meanwhile, after making a spectacular comeback through social networking services in August last year, 'Bitdori' has established himself as a new model for municipal promotion by capturing the lives of young people that resonate with those in their 20s and 30s.
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