The Power of Cheongsong, the 'Breathing City'... Achieves Seven Consecutive Brand Awards

"Oxycafé Cheongsong County" Wins City Brand Grand Prize
The Value of a Pristine Ecological City Reaffirmed

Cheongsong County in North Gyeongsang Province has once again drawn nationwide attention as a model case of local branding policy, having received the grand prize in the city brand category for seven consecutive years with its signature brand, "Oxycafé Cheongsong County."

Kwon Youngmoon, Deputy County Governor of Cheongsong County (right), received the Cheongsong City Brand Award last month.
[Photo by Cheongsong County]

This achievement is particularly meaningful as it goes beyond simple image marketing. Cheongsong County has systematically integrated its pristine nature, ecological environment, and tourism resources into a single urban identity, connecting them to sustainable regional competitiveness.

"Oxycafé Cheongsong County" is a city brand that encapsulates the image of Cheongsong’s clean air, pure nature, and its reputation as a place for relaxation and healing.

Cheongsong County has leveraged this brand to expand stay-type tourism strategies and agricultural product marketing by linking key local resources, such as the UNESCO Global Geopark, Juwangsan National Park, Jusanji Lake, and Cheongsong apples.

Especially amid the intensifying crisis of local population decline and growing interregional competition, Cheongsong County is recognized for utilizing its city brand not merely as an administrative slogan, but as a core asset in its regional growth strategy. By connecting policies in tourism, culture, agriculture, and the local economy to the brand’s value, the county has built a distinctive image unique to Cheongsong.

Cheongsong County sees the influence of the "Oxycafé" brand spreading nationwide, in line with the recent rise in demand for healing and wellness tourism. In fact, Cheongsong is reinforcing its image as a nature-friendly tourism city and strengthening its symbolism as a "city of rest and healing," thereby increasing the influx of visitors.

The achievement of winning the grand prize for seven consecutive years is significant in that it reflects not short-term results but the outcome of long-accumulated brand trust. It is assessed that Cheongsong County’s consistent messaging, which has developed the region’s natural assets and identity, has been recognized externally for its competitiveness.

After winning the grand prize for seven consecutive years last month in the Urban Brand category - Oxygen Cafe Cheongsong County, they are taking a group commemorative photo. [Photo by Cheongsong County]

Looking ahead, Cheongsong County plans to further expand its high value-added brand policies by linking ecological tourism, cultural content, and the agricultural specialties industry, thereby strengthening regional vitality and the foundation for sustainable growth.

The competitiveness of a city brand depends less on flashy slogans and more on how convincingly it embodies the essence of the region.

"Oxycafé Cheongsong County" does not merely evoke an emotional image of the natural environment, but instead extends it into tourism, the economy, and regional identity, pointing the way toward a new direction in local branding strategy.

The record of winning the grand prize for seven consecutive years ultimately demonstrates that the clean, unspoiled nature of Cheongsong is the county’s most powerful asset—a fact now recognized by both the market and the public.

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