Ongjin County debuts Baengnyeongdo character brand at UK expo

Ongjin County has launched its original character brand, ‘HAYANI & FRIENDS’, to the global intellectual property (IP) market. The brand, which draws inspiration from the natural environment and unique stories of Baengnyeongdo Island, was first unveiled at ‘BLE 2026’, Europe’s largest brand licensing exhibition held in the United Kingdom.

Developed as part of the ‘Ongjin-gun K-Tourism Island Development Project’ in collaboration with Woo Ji-hee, the creator of Seoul’s ‘Haechi’ character, the brand features five distinct characters. The lead character, ‘Hayani’, is a white-winged bird inspired by the island’s bird-like topography. Other characters are based on local landmarks and resources, including Kongdol Beach, Dumujin cliffs, local sand lance, and spotted seals.

Designed with commercial scalability in mind, the characters were developed to be easily integrated into various products such as plush toys, souvenirs, digital content, and promotional materials. Following the UK exhibition, Ongjin County plans to participate in the ‘Shanghai CLE’ in China to further expand its international brand recognition and pursue licensing partnerships.