Art Token to Debut Jikjisa Temple Mascot ‘Hwangak-i’ and Fortune App ‘Myoyong’ at Gimcheon Gimbap Festival
Summary
- Art Token said it will debut the character Hwangak-i and the fortune app Myoyong at the Gimcheon Gimbap Festival in partnership with Jikjisa.
- Art Token said it will oversee character design, merchandise production and brand collaborations, and plans to donate part of the operating proceeds to Jikjisa to help local residents in need.
- Hong Ji-sook, chief executive of Art Token, said the company will continue expanding traditional cultural assets into character IP and digital content, and pursue projects that connect cultural assets with technology.
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Art Token, an art-content solutions company, will debut the temple character “Hwangak-i” and the fortune app “Myoyong” at the Gimcheon Gimbap Festival in collaboration with Jikjisa Temple. The company will operate a cultural-experience booth combining character merchandise, fortune readings, and hands-on activities such as traditional liquor- and incense-making.
Art Token said on October 22 that it will plan and run Jikjisa’s booth at the 2026 Gimcheon Gimbap Festival, to be held in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, from October 23 to October 25. Jikjisa will open a booth as an official participant, while Art Token will oversee character design, merchandise production, brand partnerships, space design and on-site operations. The festival, which drew 170,000 visitors over two days last year, will run for three days this year at Jikji Culture Park and around Samyeongdaesa Park.
Hwangak-i is a character modeled on a blue haetae statue used as the base of a temple drum stand that has been kept by Jikjisa. Its name comes from Mount Hwangak, where the temple is located. Art Token created the character and produced T-shirts and key rings based on the statue’s features. The original haetae statue, usually kept out of public view, will also be shown free of charge on the second floor of Manseru during the festival.
Doseon, head of Jikjisa’s propagation bureau and the monk who led development of the character, described Hwangak-i as the blue haetae that had long supported the temple drum and quietly guarded the sound of Jikjisa. He added that he hopes it will become a symbol of the temple loved across generations.
Myoyong is a service that offers daily, overall and detailed fortune readings based on a user’s birth date and time. At the festival, the service will be available through four kiosks, with Hwangak-i delivering the fortune content. Art Token plans to expand it into a web app later.
Lee Seung-jin, a director at Art Token, said the company translated Jikjisa’s sculptures and stories into characters, products and space, then linked that experience to Myoyong so the character could speak to visitors. The focus, he said, was on creating a booth where different generations could naturally spend time while preserving the temple’s identity.
The booth, to be set up in the front courtyard near the entrance to Jikjisa, will also feature Seonsan Jujo, illustration brand Wengeugigeu, fragrance workshop Chorokdo and Maeil Dairies. They will offer makgeolli, illustrations, incense and sachet-making programs, and beverages, while Daewoong Pharmaceutical will sponsor health supplements. Art Token and the participating brands plan to donate part of the proceeds to Jikjisa to support local residents in need.
Hong Ji-sook, chief executive of Art Token, said the company’s strength lies in expanding traditional cultural assets into character intellectual property and digital content. Starting with its collaboration with Jikjisa, she added, Art Token will continue projects that connect cultural assets with technology.
