Five Mascot Stories That Opened 2023: January in Review

January 2023 brought a local government character into use, new characters from a national institution, a wedding and a dance show by festival characters, and a goods launch for a brand character. The fields were different, but mascots were at the center of each story.

Songpa District: Haha and Hoho, a Tiger Brother and Sister

Songpa District in Seoul began using Haha and Hoho as its district characters in January 2023. Unveiled in late 2022, Haha and Hoho are a baby tiger brother and sister inspired by Hodori of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. They are drawn putting on and taking off tiger masks. Since they came into use, Haha and Hoho have appeared on 14 kinds of goods, at an indoor playground and in overseas tourism promotion.

Korea National Arboretum: The Four Gwangneung Forest Guardians

The Korea National Arboretum unveiled the Gwangneung Forest Guardians, a team of four characters, in its webzine in January 2023. They are Armor, Leaf, Tori and Timber. All four are based on natural monuments or endangered species. Armor, the team leader, is a warrior modeled on the Korean longhorn beetle. The four form a single team.

Inje Smelt Festival: The Wedding of Snowon and Snowa

On January 12, 2023, the 23rd Inje Smelt Festival, hosted by Inje County, held a wedding for its festival characters Snowon and Snowa as an event. The festival paired its two signature characters as a couple and gave them a wedding story. Snowon has also been used on pen-up coloring products and macarons.

Taebaeksan Snow Festival: A Mascot Dance at the Opening

Taebaek City ran a mascot character dance show at the opening ceremony of the 30th Taebaeksan Snow Festival and at Danggol Square on January 20, 2023. The opening stage of the 30th festival was built around the mascot performance.

Venti Presso: Goods for Berry the Fox

The franchise Venti Presso released three official goods featuring its brand character Berry in January 2023. Berry is a brand character in the form of a fox. In 2023, Venti Presso also held events featuring Berry alongside the goods.

One Month, Five Stories

Of the five stories, two involved characters from a local government and a national institution, two involved characters at festivals, and one involved a franchise character. New character launches, first use, festival stages and a goods release all came within the single month of January 2023.