Korea Consumer Agency (KCA, www.kca.go.kr) has selected its official mascot to appeal to consumers and to help it to redouble its efforts to facilitate the core values of Government 3.0, namely, Open, Share, Communicate, Collaborate.

  With the mission of "We Create a Happier World with Consumers!" at its heart, the KCA is carrying out diverse works aimed at advocating consumers’ rights and interests, such as consumer policy research, transaction research, test & inspection, consumer redress, and dispute settlement among others. The KCA also communicates closely with consumers through the active provision of information and social contributions.

  The character, called SOMANGI, embodies both an adorable kid and the logo of the KCA, and is both a token of 'an existence that provides hope to consumers' and a symbol of the KCA’s goal of creating a world where consumers are happier.

  The KCA held a nationwide contest in October 2013 to select the character, and chose the name in January 2014 from among those proposed by its staff.

  The KCA plans to present a friendlier image by adopting SOMANGI in diverse media including its promotional contents, video clips, informational textbooks, and consumer awareness campaigns.