Jongno-gu announced a new integrated brand, 'Jongno: The way of Seoul', at Gwanghwamun Square on the 11th. It contains the meaning that all roads in Seoul lead to Jongno. The goal is to improve the symbol system of Jongno-gu and strengthen the city's competitiveness. In order to express new values, the meanings of resonance, openness, canvas, gateway, and platform were expressed in a modern way. It expanded from the physical 'Jong' to the conceptual 'Ro'.

It is simpler than the previous version's descriptive illustrations. The symbol expressed in gradients looks like the inside of Gwanghwamun. However, the subtle color changes make it difficult to use in various environments, both online and offline. It seems difficult to understand what it means with just the outlines.

The overall impression of the wordmark is similar to the open source font SUITE, which won the Red Dot Award. The Korean version has a strong overall rectangular pillar feel. The English version, The Way of Seoul, is thin and tall, while JONGNO is thick and huge.

What will happen to the cute yellow bell 'Jongdoli'? It is a character that embodies 'Bosin Pavilion', the origin of the name of the area Jongno, and visualizes traditional lines and shapes in a modern way. It becomes a moving character when you attach black arms and legs to it. It was popular because its face made of dots and lines was cute. It was created and given away for free by Kookmin University in 2001, and it began to be used as the official emblem in 2010. After that, under the Jeong Moon-heon administration in 2022, 'Jongno, the Heart of Seoul Beats Again' was used, and a new emblem was introduced in 2024.

More and Sources

• https://www.jongno.go.kr/portal/bbs/selectBoardArticle.do?bbsId=BBSMSTR_000000001618&menuNo=388338&menuId=388338&nttId=249984