Gwangjin-gu (district mayor Kim Kyung-ho) has selected designs for a line of sewn goods featuring the district's official mascot character "Gwangjinie" and will work with local sewing businesses to bring the products to market.
The initiative aims to go beyond simple district promotion, developing the goods into signature souvenirs for Gwangjin-gu while boosting the local sewing industry and expanding its sales channels.
The district held the "Gwangjinie Sewn Goods Design Competition" in June and, after a judging process involving outside experts, selected 10 final designs. Entries were evaluated on their alignment with the competition's goals, production feasibility and commercial viability.
The winning designs cover everyday items with high practical utility, including waste-bag pouches, picnic mats, general pouches, shopping bags, knee blankets and tumbler bags. The lineup combines practicality and design appeal so that people of all ages can use the products with ease.
To move the designs into production, the district will publicly recruit five local sewing businesses through the website of the Gwangjin-gu Sewing Industry Comprehensive Support Center from July 31 through Aug. 10. The district plans to produce high-quality goods by drawing on the technical expertise of local manufacturers while strengthening ties with the local sewing industry.
The project places particular emphasis on securing sales channels so that the goods reach actual buyers rather than stopping at production. Finished products will serve as district-visit souvenirs and promotional materials for individual departments, with distribution expanding to tourism hubs, public facilities, souvenir shops and community centers across the district to promote both the district's image and the local economy.
In addition, the district plans to refine some designs based on feedback from partner institutions and end users and to pursue additional production runs. The goal is to strengthen commercial appeal and utility, capture both public- and private-sector demand, and establish the line as Gwangjin-gu's signature souvenir.
"Selecting these sewn goods designs is a meaningful first step in connecting the Gwangjin-gu brand with the outstanding technical skills of our local sewing businesses," district mayor Kim said. "We will actively work to expand sales channels so that the selected designs can be used as a variety of souvenirs and promotional items and become a signature Gwangjin-gu product that tourists and residents naturally seek out."
For further details, contact the Gwangjin-gu District Office's Local Economy Division or the Gwangjin-gu Sewing Industry Comprehensive Support Center.
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