New Faces and New Versions for Mascots in the First Month of the Year

In January 2026, several organizations gave their characters a new look or added new versions. One local government redrew its long-used signature character for the first time in 25 years. A university and a foundation posted new image files on their websites. A mascot also hosted an event as an AI character.

Samcheokdongja gets a new face after 25 years

Samcheok City Hall, Gangwon State, announced the redesign of its signature character Samcheokdongja in its first press release of the new year on January 2, 2026. The character got a new face for the first time in 25 years. The city chose the character as the subject of the press release that opened the year.

Samcheokdongja is the signature mascot of Samcheok, and it embodies the city's natural energy. The new design was used in the city's 2026 promotional materials.

Soeburi gets an eco version with urban gardens

Buk District Office, Ulsan, created and distributed an additional eco version of its character Soeburi. The version symbolizes urban gardens and the natural environment. It adds one more look to the existing Soeburi, featuring urban gardens and nature. The character page on the district's website was updated with this content on January 16, 2026.

A university and a foundation post new images online

Kyungsung University Central Library released images of its library characters Gaegangi and Jonggangi on its website in January 2026. It posted basic images along with variations. It also added usage guidelines and a copyright notice for users who want to use the images. The names of the two characters refer to the start and end of the semester.

Kyungdong University also updated and distributed PNG and AI files of its symbol character Gyeongdongi in January. Gyeongdongi is a lion character used in the university's promotions. Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation released images and files of its character Bokjini in a new edition posted in January 2026. The files can be downloaded from its website.

Starkona hosts a business report meeting

At a NongHyup livestock business report meeting held in January 2026, Starkona, the mascot of Nonghyup Anseong Farmland, served as host. Starkona is a racehorse character of Anseong Farmland, and it appeared at the meeting as an AI character. It is a case of a mascot serving as an event host.

The changes in the first month of the year varied in scale. One signature character changed its face for the first time in 25 years, while other organizations posted new image files to broaden how their characters can be used.