English slogans of Korean cities: the complete list

As much as I love Korea, it is undeniable that all Korean cities tend to look more or less the same. They may be small, medium, or large; they may have various mountains, rivers, beaches and temples of which the locals are proud; but apart from that, there is little to separate one from the next.

If you are the administrator of a Korean city, then, how can you distinguish your city from all the others? If you answered, “By appending a random English word to the city name and using it as a slogan,” then you are not new to Korea.

Since I came to Korea I’ve been interested in the English slogans of Korean cities, an obsession which seems to be shared by a lot of my fellow waegukin. It is hard to say what makes them so fascinating. Perhaps it is their random quality; the frequent lack of any obvious connection to the city itself. Perhaps it is the language: the adjective is as likely to be nonsensical as it is to be sensical; indeed, it may not even be an adjective.

I recently went looking for a complete list of these, but couldn’t find one on either Google or Naver. I did, however, manage to find a number of partial lists, from which I’ve pieced this together. While I’ve done my best, it is probably not complete yet, so please let me know any omissions or errors in the comments – quite a few came from Korean blogs, and may have transcription/romanization errors.

The main sources were here, here, here and here. The commentary is mine.

• A+ Anyang
• Ace Yongin
• Active Yangsan
• Aha! Suncheon – as if someone had just thought of Suncheon as an exciting idea
  
• Always Taebaek
• Amazing Iksan
• Amenity Seocheon
  
• Art Icheon
• Asiart Jeonju
• Beautiful Gyeongju
• Best Gimpo – as opposed to other, lesser Gimpos
  
• Better life Yeonsu
• Blue City Geoje
• Bravo Ansan – Ansan has just performed an impressive feat of derring-do
  
• Central Gimcheon – this accurately describes this dreadful city’s only selling point, in my opinion
  
• Charm Jinju
  
• City of Masters, Anseong – Sounds scary
• Colorful Daegu – I lived here and the entire city is a uniform greyish cream
  
• Creative Hwaseong
• Delightful Paju
• Digital Guro
• Diversity Pocheon
• Do Dream Dongducheon – somebody just learned about alliteration
  
• Dream Bay Masan
• Dream Hub Gunsan
• Dream of Unity Cheorwon
• Dynamic Busan
• Eco Hampyeong
• Evergreen Seongju
• Fantasia Bucheon – nothing expresses “satellite city of Seoul” like the word “Fantasia”
  
• Fast Cheonan – it has a KTX station
  
• Fine city Hwaseong – “A fine city, that Hwaseong. Jolly good place.”
  
• Fly Incheon
• G&D Yeongju – Abbreviation apparently stands for “Good and Different”
  
• G&G Paju – Not sure. Perhaps they were just impressed with Yeongju’s slogan. (Added: apparently it stands for “Good and Great”. Words fail me.)
• Gimhae for you
• Good Chungju
• Good morning Jinhae – the Robin Williams sequel that never got made
  
• Green Jeonnam
• Gurye: Road to Nature
• Happy Seosan
• Happy Suwon
• Happy Citizen, Proud Jeongeup – A victim of Google translate, perhaps
  
• Happy Life Yangju
• Happy together Yongin
• Healthy Wonju
• Hi Seoul – That’s the best they could come up with?
  
• Hi-brand Nowon
• Hi Touch Gongju
• High Goseong
• Hot Yeongyang – for their chillies and spicy chicken, not their temperature
  
• I.Seoul.U – Imagine Your Verb
• It’s Daejeon – truthful, if uninspiring
  
• Joy Seocho
• Jump Changnyeong
• Jump Namwon – “Jump” was such a good idea that two cities went with it
• Just Sangju – My favorite. A completely forgettable Gyeongbuk city. It’s just Sangju
  
• Let’s Goyang – introduces a new verb, “to goyang”.
  
• Lucky Dongjak
• My Jinan
• Namyangju: the slow city – a city of imbeciles, apparently
  
• New hope Dangjin – better than the alternatives: The Dangjin Strikes Back and Return of the Dangjin
  
• Nice Jecheon
• 02 Gunpo
• Only Jeju
  
• Osan Fresh Energy
• Pine City Gangneung
• Powerful Pohang
• Pyeongtaek Super – breaking with tradition, and the rules of English grammar, Pyeongtaek has racily put its adjective after the city name
  
• Rising Sacheon
• Romantic Chuncheon
• Season your life with Sunchang – mmm, Sunchang
  
• Smart Asan
• Smile! Geumjong
• Smiling Dalseo
• Star Yeongcheon
• Sun and fun Haeundae
• Sunshine Gwayang
• Top Gochang
• Ulsan for you
• Viva Boryeong
• Wonderfull Samcheok – actual spelling
  
• Wow! Siheung
• Yes Gumi
• Yes! Uiwang
  
• Young city Changwon
• Your Okcheon
• Your partner Gwangju