On the morning of the 30th, Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation unveiled "Jopams," characters that reinterpret the historical figures on Korea's currency, at the Gwangheungchang Currency Product Shop in Seoul. "Jopams," a portmanteau of "mint" and "family (Fams)," was created through about a yearlong industry-academia collaboration project with Kookmin University.
Since April last year, the corporation has built the characters' identities through in-depth interviews, strategy development, forums, and a business agreement with Kookmin University students. In particular, it focused on intuitive and creative expressions tailored to the sensibilities of the MZ generation (a term combining millennials and Generation Z).
A total of three characters were unveiled, characterized by reinterpreting the figures on currency in soul form. "Hunmin (King Sejong)" symbolizes cultural projects, "Sunsik (Admiral Yi Sun-sin)" represents the medal and coin business, and "Daim (Shin Saimdang)" stands for the security printing business.
The corporation plans to use these characters to strengthen brand value and business competitiveness. It will introduce products and behind-the-scenes production stories through its website, online mall, and social networking services (SNS), and will expand touchpoints with consumers. It also expects to broaden its customer base through character merchandise linked to the recently popular "currency goods" and pop-up events.
President Seong Chang-hun said, "Currency is more than a simple means of payment; it is a cultural asset that holds a nation's history and identity," adding, "We will shed the rigid image of a public institution and leap forward as a K-culture content corporations that inspires the public."