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| This image shows four candidates for the city of Seoul's new slogan. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Kim Se-jeong
What will Seoul's new promotional slogan be? The Seoul Metropolitan Government is still in the process of selecting one among four.
Recently, the city government ran a public online poll which found "Seoul my soul" and "Seoul for you" as the top two favorites.
The city will hold another voting round as the margin between the two is quite small ― 2.4 percent or 9,641 votes ― and Korean speakers and non-Korean-speaking voters showed quite a big difference in their preferences.
The city said a total of 397,721 ― 185,300 Korean speakers and 212,421 non-Korean speakers ― participated in the survey. "Seoul my soul" came on top with 148,466 votes, while "Seoul for you" followed with 138,825 votes.
"Amazing Seoul" and "Make it happen, Seoul" received 70,395 and 40,035 votes, respectively.
Thirty-eight percent of the Korean-speaking voters favored "Seoul for you," while 44.2 percent of the non-Korean speakers voted for "Seoul, my soul."
"Seoul for you" has been criticized by some for its unoriginality, as both Ulsan and Gimhae have previously used the phrase for their city slogans.
The city said the next round of voting will take place sometime next week.
The slogan is a part of the city's international promotional strategy. The current one is "I.Seoul.U."
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| A 3D installation of Seoul's city brand I.Seoul.U stands in Yeouido Hangang Park. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
