Seoul slogan gaining favor

By Kang Seung-woo

People are getting more positive about Seoul City's once confusing and controversial slogan, “I.Seoul.U,” according to a survey, Wednesday.

The slogan that made its debut in October 2015 is gaining more recognition than ever.

The finding is based on a poll by the Seoul Metropolitan Government from Nov. 26 to Dec. 10 last year which interviewed 1,000 citizens aged in their 20s through 50s. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points with a 95 percent confidence level.

According to the city government, 70.7 percent of the respondents said the slogan is likable, a sharp advance from 52.8 percent in 2016 and 57.1 percent in 2017.

Its awareness also increased greatly, with 84 percent knowing about it for 2018 from 63 percent in 2016 and 66.3 percent in 2017.

However, the poll found that 30 percent of Seoul citizens were still opposed to the slogan, citing incomprehensibility and other reasons that included a lack of subtlety.

Through a public contest, the slogan was selected over two other candidates “Seoulmate” and “SEOULing” to replace its predecessor “Hi Seoul.” But it got off to a sluggish start after coming under fire because many complained it did not make sense.

In another survey conducted on the local government's website for foreign residents from Nov. 21 to 30, 98 percent of 748 foreign nationals liked the meanings of the slogan: coexistence, passion and relaxation. More than 95 percent of them were aware of the slogan.