The agency took home the product development innovation prize at a national public character festival, recognized for its Railo merchandise line developed with social enterprises
Korea National Railway has won the product development innovation award for the second consecutive year, recognized for its Railo merchandise line developed in partnership with social enterprises.
The agency announced Monday that it received the award at the 2026 Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival ceremony held at the Daejeon Convention Center.
The back-to-back win follows its 2025 award and recognizes the agency's efforts to develop a range of merchandise featuring Railo, its official mascot character, in collaboration with social enterprises. The agency used the products as a channel to engage with the public while helping partner companies expand their market reach and grow sales.
Korea National Railway formed a dedicated "KR Goods Team" with social enterprise partners and developed 73 merchandise items featuring Railo, including keycaps and keyrings.
The products are sold at offline stores inside major stations — including Seoul Station, Suseo Station and Busan Station — as well as through the online store Railo Shop, with cumulative sales surpassing 100 million won ($74,500) since the stores opened in 2025.
To help spread this cooperative model, the agency exhibited Railo merchandise and shared case studies of its social enterprise partnerships at the third Korea Social Value Festa held in September. From Friday through Sunday, it also ran a Railo goods exhibition and an interactive promotional booth at the 2026 Daejeon Content Fair, expanding engagement with visitors.
"This award is the result of working alongside social enterprises to turn ideas into products and generate real outcomes," Korea National Railway Chairman Jeong Jin-hyeok said. "We will continue to grow together with our partner companies and develop diverse content using our character to connect more closely with the public."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
