Im Won-hee has served as Gangneung's promotional ambassador since October 2020, steadily raising the city's profile through media appearances and event participation.
The selection can be read as an official acknowledgment of his contributions to local promotion.
Going forward, observers will watch how he helps shape the city's brand and cultural outreach.
What Im Won-hee's Gangneung Honor Means
Facts and timeline
Start with the facts.
On November 7, 2025, Gangneung held an official ceremony to present an honorary citizenship certificate to actor Im Won-hee.
Mayor Kim Hong-gyu praised Im for his long-standing affection for Gangneung and his work as a city ambassador.
Im has acted as Gangneung's promotional ambassador since October 2020, appearing in the citys official YouTube videos, taking part in the Gangneung Coffee Festival, carrying the torch at the provincial sports meet, and mentioning the city across TV shows and films.
He has introduced Gangneungs attractions and local specialties in a casual, accessible way across entertainment formats.
To date, Gangneung has named 205 honorary citizens, and this selection fits into the city's broader brand-management approach.
Background of the honorary-citizen system
What does this system mean?
The honorary-citizen program is a tool local governments use to recognize people who contribute to municipal development and to formalize ties between the locality and outside supporters.
Gangneung has used the designation to reward and activate figures who help promote the citys image and cultural projects.
In recent years, as regional competitiveness has shifted toward tourism and cultural content, honorary-citizen appointments become storytelling resources for places.
They function not only as symbolic honors but also as tools for image management, event publicity, and attracting projects.
Arguments in favor
Now consider the supportive case.
First, Im Won-hees activity appears to have raised awareness of Gangneung in practical ways.
His YouTube videos and TV appearances introduced travel spots and eateries to audiences unfamiliar with the city, creating approachable first impressions.
Such exposure can stimulate tourism demand and yield positive spillovers for local merchants and festivals.
Second, granting an official honorary-citizen status institutionalizes the relationship between the individual and the city.
This aligns with strategies that use external figures to generate cultural and economic value.
Activities like festival participation or torch relays amplify publicity and broaden audience engagement.
Third, from a local economy perspective, promotion can lead to indirect investment.
More visitors and greater name recognition can produce business opportunities, higher sales for small businesses, and incentives for new enterprises.
Over time, stronger local branding may also help connect the city to outside capital, increase tax revenue, and expand cultural-content initiatives.
Im Won-hees work goes beyond simple publicity: it can add tangible and intangible value to the local ecosystem.
Therefore, naming him an honorary citizen can be seen as both a gesture of thanks and a reasoned step in a local branding strategy.
Arguments against
Now turn to the critical perspective.
First, naming a single individual an honorary citizen can concentrate public attention and resources on that person, which risks perceptions of unfairness.
If the selection process lacks transparency or clear criteria, it can provoke disagreement within the community.
Second, the effectiveness of celebrity promotion should be scrutinized.
Even if a star increases visibility, that does not automatically produce lasting economic benefits or sustainable tourism (tourism: visits and spending sustained over time).
Short-term attention may not translate into long-term gains unless paired with infrastructure upgrades, improved services, and stronger competitiveness among local businesses.
Third, there is a question of policy priorities.
When municipal budgets are limited, allocating staff time or funds toward promotional efforts involves opportunity costs for other public services, welfare programs, or infrastructure projects.
Lack of transparent budget and selection procedures can erode public trust.
In sum, the honorary-citizen system has potential upside, but without attention to fairness, transparency, and measurable impact, it can backfire.
Comparisons and cases
Look at other examples.
Many cities at home and abroad appoint celebrities as ambassadors to boost promotion.
Successful cases see higher awareness translate into festival growth and tourist spending, while failures often involve excessive budgets and damaged trust.
Successful examples match the celebritys image with the city and follow promotion with concrete investments in resources and services.
By contrast, one-off publicity without a strategic plan tends to yield fleeting results and may fail to build resident support.
Local implications and action items
What should Gangneung do next?
First, set clear goals and evaluation metrics so honorary-citizen activities become accountable to measurable outcomes.
Quantitative metrics might include changes in visitor numbers, local retail sales, festival attendance, and media impressions.
Second, link promotion to local partners: work with small businesses, develop products tied to festivals and video content, and offer marketing training to local merchants.
Plans for year-round content creation tied to local attractions can convert celebrity attention into lasting assets.
Third, balance budgets by ensuring promotional spending does not crowd out core public services.
Policy design should weigh short-term popularity against long-term development and tie promotion to investment, business attraction, and tax-revenue goals.
Policy recommendations
Be concise: first, create a system to measure the results of honorary-citizen activities quantitatively.
Second, build partnerships that convert promotion into real economic effects for local businesses and events.
Third, involve citizens in an open selection process to strengthen legitimacy.
Introducing training programs and content-development support will help turn celebrity attention into durable local resources.
Conclusion
To conclude: Im Won-hees honorary-citizen appointment formally recognizes his years of promotional activity on behalf of Gangneung.
However, without transparent procedures and clear evaluation, the decision could raise questions about trade-offs and fairness.
Overall, honorary citizenship should be seen as one tool in a broader local-promotion toolkit.
Gangneung would benefit most if it pairs collaboration with Im Won-hee with measurable goals and ongoing public reporting.
How do you view this decision?
