Seoul Metropolitan Gov’t names 10 new faces, including NewJeans, Lee Seok-hoon, and more

▲ This photo, provided by ADOR, shows the members of NewJeans. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul Metropolitan Government has named 10 new teams, including rookie girl group NewJeans, actor Roh Joo-hyun, and singer Sean Ro, as the city’s honorary ambassadors, the government announced Tuesday.

The rookie girl group NewJeans, which has been releasing a slew of hit songs since its debut last July, surpassed 1 million album sales only in six months and also entered the Billboard Hot 100.

The Korean veteran actor Noh Joo-hyun is well-known for his heart-warming roles and personality in multiple drama series and variety shows. Along with the two artists, rapper, entrepreneur, and music producer Sean, who is widely acclaimed for his participation in numerous sharing activities, including marathons held to sponsor independence fighters, has been appointed as an ambassador of Seoul, the capital city of Korea.

More were included in the list of ambassadors, including actors Gil Yong-woo; comedian Kim Yong-myeong; announcer Oh Sang-jin and Kim So-young; singer Lee Seok-hoon; the former securities fund manager and now YouTuber SyukaWorld; the psychiatrist brothers Yang Jae-jin and Yang Jae-woong, who are together dubbed the Yangbro; and Tiktok influencer On Oppa.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government, which appointed new ambassadors for the city in two years, explained, “We have named new ambassadors as celebrities who can effectively promote the 8th civil election slogan, “Companion and Allure,” and also share the value of “Companion of the weak” in their daily lives.”

Mayor Oh Se-hoon will hold a ceremony to appoint the ambassadors at 11:10 a.m. on Thursday and award them with letters of appointment. A plaque of appreciation will also be bestowed on ambassadors who actively promoted the municipal administration during the ceremony. The plaque-winners will be veteran actor Choi Bul-am, who has been named an ambassador since 1998, makeup artist Jung Saem-mool, Korean painter Kim Hyung-jun, and Korean-based characters Pinkfong and Baby Shark.

Actress Park Jin-hee, television presenter Alberto Mondi, singer Lee Young-ji, and entertainer Jason will also be winning the honorary plaques of appreciation.

The Seoul ambassador team consists of a total of 40 personalities, excluding the newly appointed, from various fields such as broadcasting, architecture, and art.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)

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