Gwangjin-gu (district mayor Kim Gyeong-ho) has partnered with the Gwangjin-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center (director Ko Si-hyeon) to produce the country's first sign language promotional materials featuring a local government mascot — the district's own "Gwangjini" character — as part of a broader push to spread sign language in everyday life and improve public awareness of people with disabilities.
The materials were designed to make sign language more approachable and deepen public understanding of people with hearing impairments. The district created and provided a sign language version of the Gwangjini character incorporating sign language gestures, which the Gwangjin-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center used to produce two promotional items: a "Gwangjini Sign Language L-folder" and a "Gwangjini Night-Reflective Keyring."
The L-folder features sign language characters depicting commonly used everyday expressions, making it easy for anyone to learn basic signs. The night-reflective keyring combines fluorescent reflective material with a name-tag function, addressing both sign language awareness and pedestrian safety at night.
The materials will be used at events, educational sessions and campaigns run by the Gwangjin-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center, and are expected to help foster a culture of communication with people who have hearing and speech disabilities.
Alongside this, following Gwangjin-gu's designation as a new lifelong learning city for people with disabilities in 2026, the district is running an outreach program in partnership with the center — a mobile deaf-awareness education initiative titled "Civil Service Connected at Your Fingertips."
The program is designed to help Gwangjin-gu office employees and residents better understand hearing disabilities and learn about deaf culture and basic sign language. Sessions focus on practical skills, including communication methods at civil service counters and procedures for connecting with sign language interpreters. The program began in June and runs through September at community centers across different districts. Residents can contact the Gwangjin-gu Lifelong Education Division for more information.
"Creating a community where people with and without disabilities understand each other and live together is an important role of local government," district mayor Kim said. "We will continue to pursue a wide range of policies to build Gwangjin into an inclusive city where everyone can learn and communicate without discrimination."
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