A Repair Owl Appeared in Gangseo Food Alley... Why?

Development of 'Suri' Character and BI for Gangseo Food Alley in Gangseo-gu, Seoul... Incorporating Ideas through Resident Contest and Merchant Survey

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) is taking steps to revitalize the local economy by developing a brand for neighborhood commercial districts.

The district developed a character and BI (Brand Identity) to revitalize the ‘Gangseo Meokja Alley’ commercial area located near the Gangseo-gu Office.

The purpose is to brand the neighborhood commercial district, which has been struggling due to COVID-19, to create a positive image and transform it into a friendly street that everyone wants to visit.

The newly developed character is named ‘Suri.’ It was inspired by the Suri owl, Natural Monument No. 324, which is protected. In particular, the Suri owl symbolizes bringing good fortune and wisdom, embodying the hope that Gangseo Meokja Alley will become a thriving commercial district.

The animal character emphasizes a friendly and cute image.

The BI (Brand Identity) visualizes a fork and microphone, representing various foods and entertainment. Yellow and red colors, which are highly visible, were used to enhance visibility.

During the production process, the district incorporated opinions from residents and merchants. Based on the ‘Gangseo Meokja Alley Brand Contest’ held last October and a survey of alley merchants, basic ideas forming the foundation of the brand and character were gathered.

The district plans to actively use the newly created brand and character for online and offline promotions. They intend to continuously utilize the developed designs through copyright registration and the creation of an application design manual.

The Meokja Alley Merchants Association said, “We are pleased that an independent brand and character have been created,” and added, “Although these are difficult times, we will strive to make Gangseo Meokja Alley a representative commercial district of Gangseo-gu.”

A district official said, “We hope the newly created brand will approach residents in a friendly way and breathe new life into the neighborhood economy,” and added, “We will continue to support merchants systematically to help them overcome difficulties.”

Meanwhile, the district was selected last year in the ‘Neighborhood Economy Recovery Support Project’ competition hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

For inquiries, contact the Gangseo-gu Office Regional Economy Division.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.