BUSAN, June 4 (Korea Bizwire) — A statue of the penguin character Pengsoo wearing a protective mask, set up at Gwangalli Beach in Busan last year to the delight of locals, has returned without a mask, instead wearing a bandage on its flipper as proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Busan’s Suyeong District said that the new statue of Pengsoo, a penguin character of the education broadcasting company EBS, will be set up from June 1 until August 31.
Banners will be set up alongside the statue to advise visitors to wear masks and adhere to social distancing rules.
Last year, the Pengsoo statue was seen wearing a mask, symbolizing the effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, however, Pengsoo has taken off the mask, with the bandage and implied vaccination sending out a hopeful message that a mask-less era is soon to come.
Another 6-meter-tall figure of Pengsoo riding a standup paddle board will also be set up at sea.
Image Credit: Suyeong District Office / Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
