Gangdong District's 'Umseu Friends' Wins Grand Prize at Character Festival

Inspired by the Seoul Amsadong Prehistoric Settlement Site

Gangdong District in Seoul (Mayor Soohee Lee) announced on September 23 that its representative character, 'Umseu Friends,' won the Grand Prize at the 2025 Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival.

The representative character of Gangdong-gu, 'Umseu Friends,' won the Grand Prize at the Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival. In the center is Soohee Lee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu. Provided by Gangdong-gu.

This competition, jointly organized by the Korea Culture Content Licensing Association and the Daejeon Tourism Organization, was held to promote the characters of local governments and public institutions across the country. 'Umseu Friends' received high scores in both online voting and expert evaluation, earning the Grand Prize at the awards ceremony held at the Daejeon Convention Center on September 13.

Gangdong District set up a promotional booth at the 'Daejeon Contents Fair' (September 13-14), which was held alongside the awards ceremony, showcasing 'Umseu Friends' merchandise and interactive events. By actively engaging with visitors at the event, the district promoted the appeal of its characters and enhanced the value of its city brand.

'Umseu Friends' consists of four characters: Woomee, born in a pit house; Bitto, a comb-patterned pottery; Tori, an acorn inside the pottery; and Corgi, a prehistoric wild boar. Inspired by the Seoul Amsadong Prehistoric Settlement Site, the characters were created in 2018 and designated as the district’s official characters in 2023. They have become beloved figures among residents, appearing in public relations and various events in a friendly manner. 'Umseu Friends' will also be featured at the 30th Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival, which will be held from October 17 to 19.

Soohee Lee, Mayor of Gangdong District, stated, “This award was made possible thanks to the interest and support of our residents. We will continue our efforts to ensure that 'Umseu Friends' serves as a representative character that communicates closely with residents and promotes the value of our community.”

Woomee, Bitto, Tori, and Corgi standing in front of the promotional booth (from left to right). Provided by Gangdong-gu.

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