Long ago, someone compiled a list of these. They’re outstanding. Here are updated versions from 2022, wherever I could find them. In many cases, these are billed as the city “brand,” but whatever. I tried to go with official-looking slogans as much as possible, not just headings from city websites, but it’s sometimes a bit tough to tell, and I included only actual English slogans, not translations. Explanations from city websites, where they were insane enough to merit inclusion, are shown in italics.
Andong: Andong, the Capital of Korean Spirit
Plausible, this one, as the Andong region is known for historical sites and Confucian tradition.
Anseong: City of Masters
Masters of what? Unknown.
Asan: SMART Asan
SMART stands for Spring Mankind Art Renovation Technic. Take it for what it’s worth.
Boryeong: VIVA Boryeong
‘VIVA Boryeong’ implicitly means ‘Peace and Comfort Forever (a great city to live in for a long period of time).’
Sure it does, Boryeong. Sure it does.
Bucheon: Fantasia
“Fantasia Bucheon” is a city that dynamically develops as we make great strides toward the future.As a city brand that accentuates the charm of Bucheon, “rhythmic character arrangement and color, symbolizing “diverse fun, pleasure, and happy melody” represent Bucheon’s future as a new conceptual city where fun and vibrant culture and advanced cutting-edge industry interact for mutual growth and development.The word mark features interconnected alphabet characters to convey our idea of a systemic urban network and organic infrastructure in Bucheon where various industries, natural environment, and people coexist in harmony.
I totally got all that from the title of a 1940 Disney classic.
Busan: Dynamic Busan
Korea, before it asked you to Imagine Your Korea, before it was Korea Sparkling, was Dynamic Korea, the Hub of Asia. Good on Busan for recycling!
Changwon: Plus Changwon
Flexibility to be added anywhere, Possibility to add anything, Changwon’s future value growing bigger with the more you add.
Cheonan: CHEONAN, THE WORLD’S BEST CITY!
Bold claim for a city mostly known for being a place you pass through on your way to somewhere else.
Daegu: Happy Citizens / Proud Daegu
Too proud for just one slogan.
Daejeon: New DaeJeon, Shaped by Citizens
Dangjin: Energetic Dangjin
Dongducheon: Do Dream
Grammatically questionable but sweet.
Donghae: Sunrise city, DONGHAE
Sensible enough for a city whose name means “East Sea.”
Gangneung: PINE CITY Gangneung
Brand of Gangneung uses the image of a pine tree to conjure up a sense of peace and relaxation in the mind. It expresses the values of the city as a tourist destination, which also happens to be home to many pine trees.
In <Bonchogangmok>, the pine tree is referred to “the adult of all trees”, and green pine means creation and abundance of life. The design symbolizes the high spirit of Gangneung people and the meaning of JeilGangneung.
Geoje: Blue City GEOJE
I think they mean this to be both the blue of the sea and blue collar, but I’m not really sure.
Gimhae: Royal Capital of Gaya, Gimhae
Gimje: THE ONLY PLACE WHERE HEAVEN AND EARTH MEET
From Wikipedia: Gimje is known as the region where the sky meets the ground … Gimje is the only region where Koreans can see the horizon from a landlocked area.
Gimpo: FULL LIFE GIMPO
Gimpo very much wants to convince you it’s an actual city, not just Seoul’s older airport, now used for domestic travel.
Gongju: Gongju, the Gateway to a Happy Future
Gumi: YES GUMI
The Gumi city brand, YES GUMI means Smart and exciting Gumi being with you! and it reveals city’s future vision for the next 100 years with its citizens.
YES stands for
Your City : Beginning of positive innovation created by you
Exciting City : Exciting YES Gumi as everyone can sympathize with
Smart City : A Rich city full of jobs through people-centered smart innovation.
Gunpo: GUNPO Good for you
Gwanyang: Sunshine Gwanyang
Interesting choice of slogan for the city with the world’s largest steel mill.
Gyeongju: Golden City, Beautiful Gyeongju
Gyeryong: Fresh GyeRyong
This brand expresses the image of a rustic city with clear skies, rich soil and clean waters to actively promote the image of a dynamic Gyeryong City fast becoming the true center of Korea with its elevation to city status.
Hwaseong: The Way to Better Living
Icheon: City of Crafts and Folk Art
Iksan: Amazing Iksan
Incheon: all ways Incheon
“All Ways Incheon” means that Incheon is building the way for Korea, leading the way to the world, and creating a way for everyone. It represents where Incheon currently stands and the direction in which the city wishes to progress towards moving forward.
Jecheon: HEALING CITY JECHEON
Jeonju: Feel Korea in Jeonju
Jinju: Charm Jinju
Namwon: ♥1*
They also go by “The City Of Love,” but this Prince-esque use of symbols is so nuts, I thought I’d include it.
Mokpo: Romantic Port Mokpo
Mungyeong: Moving forward – The New Mungyeong
Osan: AI Artificial Intelligence
Not sure what they’re after here, as their English website has nothing about AI, but it’s a town mostly known for its US air base. The mayor says “people are sparkling” and that Osan is “Korea’s belly button.” Make of that what you will.
Pocheon: Fortune City Pocheon
Pyeongtaek: Citizen-Centric New PyeongTaek
Their “Integrated Brand for Agricultural and Special Products” is “Super O’ning,” which is amazing.
Sacheon: Mecca of high-tech aviation industry
Mecca is not, however, a sister city.
Sangju: Just Sangju
So, not Mecca then?
Seongnam
OK, so this is my current hometown, and while there’s no slogan as such, there is a city song, and it’s amazing. How we got a mariachi, I have no idea, but it’s our’s and I love it.
Seoul: I.SEOUL.U
So this one is notorious. The website has all the tortured logic behind this peculiar, unreadable catchphrase. If it helps any, this is the city brand, while the city slogan is “Seoul, Up and Running Again for Fairness,” a messy disaster with MAGA-like implications that Seoul at some point was down and not running.
Sokcho: Fresh Sokcho
Taebaek: Always Taebaek
Never Mecca, for example.
Tonyeong: The Land of Sea, Tongyeong
Uiwang: Yes! Uiwang
Emphatic if not original.
Ulsan: The Rising City
Wonju: Healthy Wonju
Yangju: JOY
Yangsan: Active Yangsan
Yeongcheon: StaR YeongCheon
Alas, no explanation for this strange slogan or its strange capitalization.