"Anchovies and Kelp Become Characters"... Gijang County in Busan Officially Debuts "Gijang Friends"

Three New Characters Unveiled
A Symbol of Communication for Residents and Tourists Alike

Gijang County (Governor Jung Jongbok) has selected a new tourism character that embodies the charm of Gijang, and will begin full-scale tourism promotion activities.

On September 27, the county held an appointment ceremony for the tourism characters at the Chaseong Cultural Festival, officially announcing the birth of "Gijang Friends" together with local residents.

The newly unveiled characters are a trio inspired by Gijang’s local specialties, anchovies and kelp: "Gijang Ajae," "Dasimi," and "Merchi." The winning designs from the tourism character design contest held in July have been renewed with a friendly and distinctive look.

"Gijang Ajae" is a bright and outgoing "insider anchovy" character, a merchant selling dried anchovies at the market, skilled in both work and parenting. A pink apron adds to his warm appeal.

"Dasimi" works at the anchovy shop during the day, but after work, enjoys OTT streaming at home-a character representing a laid-back lifestyle. After meeting Gijang Ajae, Dasimi becomes immersed in the lively market life.

"Merchi" is a baby anchovy with sparkling eyes who follows Gijang Ajae, radiating cuteness and lovability. With a heart-shaped tail, Merchi is designed to bring good fortune to visitors to Gijang.

Going forward, these three characters will be used in a variety of areas, including tourism and festival promotion, merchandise production, and SNS content, to widely promote the image of Gijang County as a tourist city.

Governor Jung Jongbok stated, "Gijang Friends will become more than just characters-they will serve as a symbol of communication between tourists and residents of Gijang. We will nurture them as a core resource for realizing the future vision of Gijang as a tourism city."

New Gijang County Tourism Characters Gijang Friends (from left: Dasimi, Gijang Ajae, Merchi)

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