Public Agency Characters Reach the Finals of the 2026 Public Character Festival

The finals of the 2026 Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival featured 74 characters. Of these, 42 were public agency characters. The public vote for the finals closed on August 21, and the awards ceremony was scheduled for October 16 at the Daejeon Content Fair. The vote counts below are based on the festival's voting page.

University and Tourism Characters

Pai Chai University's Naseomi received 5,160 votes in the public agency character finals. Its entry description included examples of Naseomi appearing at Seoul Station, at pop-up stores and at Hanwha Eagles games. Ijikku, the character of the Incheon Tourism Organization, a local public enterprise funded by Incheon Metropolitan City, received 5,091 votes.

Science and Nature Characters

PPRI, the penguin character of the Korea Polar Research Institute, received 4,209 votes. PPRI promotes awareness of climate change and polar science. Neulpeu of the National Research Foundation of Korea was entered as a 3D image and received 2,671 votes. Baekdurangi and Friends, from the Korea Arboretums and Gardens Institute's Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, also reached the finals. The set consists of Baekdurangi and four animal friends. The arboretum sold character merchandise at its garden shop.

New Names and New Plans

Jedami, from the Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC) under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, received 3,983 votes. It gives a new name and story to an old roe deer character. Aljja and Alli, from Korail Networks, a subsidiary of Korail, received 3,323 votes. The entry description included plans to expand the characters through emoticons, merchandise and social media, and to hold participatory events.

Arts and Sports Characters

Yegomi, from the Korean Artists Welfare Foundation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was created in partnership with a webtoon artist and received 3,158 votes. Tonton of the Korea Anti-Doping Agency received 2,662 votes. In August of the same year, the agency marked the first anniversary of its experience center, Fair Play Ground.

Agencies That Promoted and Joined the Vote

Some agencies promoted the finals vote themselves. The Gyeonggi Fishing Village Specialization Support Center, Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters, Korea Rural Community Corporation, held a voting event for Eochyoni, its character promoting Gyeonggi fishing villages, to encourage participation in the finals vote. Eochyoni is the main character of the center's Instagram comic "A Day in the Life of Eochyoni." The Ansan Mental Health Welfare Center also joined the festival with its character Mindu. The center runs Mindu merchandise, a webtoon and MinduTV.