Gwangyang City’s ‘Maedoli’ Wins Excellence Award for Our Neighborhood Character

Personifying Local Agricultural Specialty Maesil as a Mischievous Boy

‘Maedoli,’ the representative character of Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do, was honored with the ‘Excellence Award’ at the 6th Our Neighborhood Character Awards 2023.

The Our Neighborhood Character Awards is a competition hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency, selecting the best character among representative characters from local governments and public institutions nationwide.

[Image provided by Gwangyang-si]

This year, a record number of 137 organizations participated in fierce competition, and the final rankings were determined through expert evaluation (50%) and public voting (50%) starting from early September.

Maedoli, an eternally 10-year-old polite and creative mischievous boy, proudly showcased his charm and received the ‘Excellence Award,’ confirming his status as an ambassador for Gwangyang City.

Maedoli was developed by personifying the local agricultural specialty, maesil (plum), as a mischievous boy. The name ‘Maedoli’ combines ‘Mae’ from maesil and ‘Doli,’ a cute boy’s name. With his adorable appearance and entertaining personality, he is loved by many citizens.

This year, appointed as Gwangyang City’s ambassador, Maedoli has actively fulfilled his role at major local festivals such as the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival and the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival. He also played a significant role at the Our Neighborhood Character Festival held at Yongsan Children’s Garden from October 14 to 15, showcasing the charm of maesil products along with his unique appeal.

Jung Hae-jong, Director of the Public Relations and Communication Office, said, “We thank everyone who supported and voted for Maedoli. We will continue to work hard to communicate more closely with citizens through Maedoli and widely promote the hidden charms of Gwangyang.”

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