The Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) denied Tuesday a claim that its sensational giant penguin mascot Pengsoo is a copycat of the Japanese bear character Kumamon.
“Pengsoo is not a knockoff version of Kumamon,” an EBS spokesperson said.
A Korean freelance writer made the claim on July 9 on Japanese media outlet Daily Shincho, insisting the two mascots share plenty of common ground. He said Pengsoo and Kumamon are animal puppets with a person inside and have similar eyes and lips.
“Kumamon is not merely a character ― it is a new content that has won the hearts of people by promoting Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture through diverse activities,” he said. “Pengsoo is comparable in that it also participates in promotional activities for local governments (in Korea.)”
In his article, the writer admitted that Pengsoo speaks with his own voice, has released a song ― “This is PENGSOO” (2020) ― and even created a buzzword like “Pengha” (meaning “Pengsoo, hi” in Korean.) But he maintained that “the voice pointing out the similarities between the two characters is dominant on Korean online communities.”
His article received more than 1,000 comments on Japan's biggest portal Yahoo Japan, with numerous online users criticizing Korea for “imitating.”
But most Koreans do not seem to agree.
“There are countless animal puppets in the world,” a Korean online user commented.
Another wrote: “Kumamon doesn't speak, but Pengsoo does. It has gained popularity thanks to its witty but thoughtful remarks.”
Pengsoo, a genderless 10-year-old penguin from Antarctica, came to Korea to become a star, according to EBS. The 210-centimeter tall character debuted last year and rose to stardom with his humor and bluntness, being voted "Person of the Year" here last year. Its YouTube channel "Giant Peng TV" clocked up more than 2 million subscribers as of Wednesday.
Kumamon is a popular mascot created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture in 2010 to lure tourists to the region. Kuma means bear in Japanese.