POSCO builds house for Pengsoo

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Pengsoo's house built by POSCO's premium steel brand Innovilt / Courtesy of POSCO

POSCO has built a house for Pengsoo ― an outspoken penguin character that shot to stardom via YouTube ― for free, the company said Monday.

Pengsoo, which has been “living” in a prop room since April, will be able to live in a steel-made house at the Education Broadcasting Station (EBS) headquarters in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

The steelmaker applied PosMAC, which is three times more corrosion-resistant than mild steel, to provide a comfortable environment for the 2.1-meter-tall giant penguin.

It also utilized PosART, which applies advanced resolution inkjet printing techniques, to print Pengsoo's face on the exterior of the house.

“We have focused on making Pegnsoo's house durable yet aesthetically pleasing,” POSCO official said.

The company explained that PosMAC and PosART are part of Innovilt, its premium brand of steel products for construction.

Standing for innovation, value and built, Innovilt is intended to boost the value of steel products for construction.

EBS, which already had huge success with its previous penguin character, Pororo the Little Penguin, initially targeted children when it first introduced Pengsoo in April.

However, Pengsoo became a hit with millennials following its television and radio appearances, as well as its own YouTube channel which now boasts more than 1.35 million subscribers.

Pengsoo's expressionless face and blunt jokes appealed to millennials.

Adults have been enthusiastic about Pengsoo addressing EBS CEO Kim Myung-joong, the character's boss, without mentioning his title.

Driven by its success, the giant penguin was named “Person of the Year,” beating contenders like global phenomenon BTS, according to a recent survey conducted by Korean recruitment website Incruit.

The 10-year-old penguin is originally from the Antarctic, but made its way to Korea to become a star, according to EBS.

Apart from POSCO, many retailers have been chasing the oversized character as people in their 20s and 30s with purchasing power are madly in love with Pengsoo.

So far, the character has collaborated with a number of companies such as Korea Ginseng Corporation and public institutions like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pengsoo's house tour episode is available via Pengsoo's YouTube channel, Giant Peng TV.