Public characters win awards at Korea Character Festival

Public institutions in South Korea received honors at the 2026 Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival held at the Daejeon Convention Center.

Incheon Housing and City Development Corporation (iH) won the SNS Innovation Award for its character ‘Gongsam-i’. The character, inspired by Incheon’s regional code ‘032’, was recognized for enhancing citizen communication through digital content such as short-form videos and card news, effectively engaging younger generations.

Korea National Railway received the Product Development Innovation Award for its character ‘Railo’. The award highlights the organization’s successful collaboration with social enterprises to develop 73 types of merchandise, including keycaps and keyrings. These products, sold both online and at major railway stations, have surpassed 100 million won in cumulative sales, supporting the growth of social enterprises.