Korea National Railway's Railo character wins award at public character festival for second straight year

Korea National Railway announced Monday that it received the Product Development Innovation Award at the 2026 Korea Local Government and Public Character Festival, held Saturday at the Daejeon Convention Center.

The award recognized the agency's efforts to partner with social enterprises in developing a range of merchandise featuring its official character, Railo, using the products as a channel to engage with the public while helping social enterprises expand their market reach and boost sales.

Korea National Railway formed a "KR Goods Team" with social enterprises and developed 73 types of merchandise featuring Railo, including keycaps and keyrings. The products are sold at offline stores inside stations such as Seoul Station, Suseo Station and Busan Station, as well as through online stores including the Railo Shop. Cumulative sales have surpassed 100 million won ($74,500) since the stores opened in 2025.

To spread the cooperative model further, Korea National Railway 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 operated 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."

Korea National Railway also collaborates with social enterprises and social economy companies on a range of mutual-growth initiatives, including market access support, product development and financial assistance.