‘Geoje Yaho’ RESCENE becomes first entertainers named Geoje honorary citizens, chosen as 68th honorees

How a local meme sparked a miracle and opened a new chapter in regional promotion

Girl group ‘RESCENE’ has become the ‘first in South Korea’ popular-culture act to be named an ‘honorary citizen’ of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.

At the second plenary session of its 265th extraordinary meeting on the 9th, the Geoje City Council approved as submitted the ‘2026 Geoje City Honorary Citizen Award Designation’, formally recognizing the group’s contributions. The decision was made under the ‘Geoje City Ordinance on the Presentation of Honorary Citizenship Certificates,’ which honors people who have raised the city’s profile beyond its borders.

As of the end of last year, Geoje had just ‘67’ honorary citizens. The designation had been reserved for outstanding contributors in specific fields, such as officials from global shipowning companies who contributed to the local economy and medical workers who dedicated themselves to COVID-19 response efforts. Against that backdrop, naming an entertainer is being viewed as an unusual and bold move.

At the center of this special connection is member ‘Woni’. A Geoje native, Woni created the online meme known as ‘Geoje Yaho’, putting both the group and the city on the public’s radar. After that momentum led to RESCENE’s appointment as ‘Geoje City promotional ambassadors’ in May, the group has carried out a wide-ranging campaign to showcase the area’s hidden attractions.

As the case is being hailed as a successful example of popular culture’s reach translating into greater value for a local government’s brand, the date of RESCENE’s honorary citizenship ceremony will be set later.