Singer Seonghwa of boy band Ateez has been appointed the honorary ambassador for his hometown of Jinju, South Gyeongsang.

Seonghwa was officially named a Jinju promotional ambassador and received a letter of appointment at a ceremony held Friday at the Jinju Silk Museum. He was selected for the role due to his personal ties to the city, having spent his school years there.

To mark the occasion, a special exhibition featuring content such as Seonghwa’s messages of support for Jinju is being held at the Jinju Silk Museum through the end of January next year.

“I am deeply honored to take on the meaningful role of honorary ambassador for my hometown of Jinju, where I spent my childhood,” Seonghwa said in a statement. “I know very well how much it means to represent my hometown in this way. As an ambassador, I will do my best to share Jinju’s culture, nature, history and the warmth of its people with a wider audience.”

Ateez is set to deliver a performance at the “2025 SBS Gayo Daejeon with Bithumb,” which will be held Thursday at Inspire Arena in Incheon.

Ateez debuted in 2018. The eight-member band has released songs like “Pirate King” (2018), “Say My Name” (2019), “Fireworks (I’m the One)” (2021), “Guerrilla” (2022) and “Work” (2024).


BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]