National Characters 'Cheolsu and Yeongi' Become Residents of Gangbuk-gu

Gangbuk-gu Awards Special Honorary Citizen Certificate to 'Cheolsu and Yeongi' Characters
Certificate Presented to Kim Jooyoung, Son of Late Illustrator Kim Taehyung
Kim Jooyoung Served Neighbors in Need in Gangbuk-gu for Over 40 Years
Gangbuk-gu Hosts 'Uicheonbyeon Festa 2024' Featuring Cheolsu and Yeongi from April 24 to 26

‘Cheolsu and Yeongi,’ characters featured in textbook illustrations, have become special honorary residents of Gangbuk-gu. Gangbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) announced on the 24th that it awarded special honorary resident certificates to the textbook illustration characters ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi.’

‘Cheolsu and Yeongi’ first appeared in the first-grade, first-semester Korean language textbook for elementary schools titled ‘Badugi and Cheolsu,’ published by the Ministry of Education on October 5, 1948, shortly after the establishment of the government. Until the 1970s, they inspired dreams and hopes in children and greatly influenced the emotions and values of today’s adults. Recently, they gained renewed attention as a symbol of generational unity, especially after the girl robot ‘Yeonghee’ in the drama ‘Squid Game’ drew public interest. ※ Although ‘Yeongi’ is often mistaken for ‘Yeonghee,’ the latter is a Japanese-style name; the character was originally named ‘Yeongi’ when first published in the textbook.

The original artist who drew the characters was the late painter Kim Tae-hyung (1916?1993). His eldest son, Kim Joo-young (75), has been running an otolaryngology clinic in Gangbuk-gu since 1983 and has volunteered for over 40 years to help neighbors in need in the community.

This connection became the reason why ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi’ were named special honorary residents of Gangbuk-gu. Since last year, the district has been hosting the participatory cultural tourism festival ‘Uicheonbyeon Festa’ along the Uicheon Stream, where citizens can enjoy Gangbuk-gu’s unique arts, culture, and commercial districts. This year, with Kim Joo-young’s consent, a retro-themed event centered on ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi’ was held from the 24th to the 26th.

Accordingly, starting with Uicheonbyeon Festa 2024, the district plans to continue its relationship with ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi’ in various fields such as cultural tourism in Gangbuk-gu. On the first day of the event, the 24th, a special honorary resident certificate was awarded to ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi.’ The certificate was personally presented by Mayor Lee Soon-hee, and Kim Joo-young received it on behalf of ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi.’

On the day, Kim Joo-young said, “The ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi’ drawn by my father are beautiful, clear, and upright pictures,” adding, “I hope everyone enjoys the festival with joyful hearts, reminiscing about those memories through the ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi’ illustrations.” He also emphasized, “Everyone participating in the festival is, in fact, Cheolsu and Yeongi.”

Mayor Lee Soon-hee of Gangbuk-gu said, “The connection linked by Kim Joo-young’s good deeds is a blessing for Gangbuk-gu,” and added, “Like the heartwarming ‘Cheolsu and Yeongi’ illustrations, I hope that warmth spreads throughout Gangbuk-gu so that everyone can be happy.”

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