South Korea’s beloved penguin character, Pengsoo, has been featured in a campaign promoted by Asian Forest Cooperation Organization to raise public awareness of sustainable forest management in Asia.

AFoCO is an intergovernmental organization which launched in 2018 to combat climate change and foster sustainable management of Asia’s forests.

The organization has been hosting the #REForest2022 challenge, which stands for Rescue Earth’s Forests, since March 21 to promote public solidarity and awareness on environmental issues. The event ends on Friday.

Pengsoo took part in the challenge by posting a picture of himself buried in the ground to the neck on his official Instagram. The penguin mascot created by EBS, a public educational broadcasting station, said he buried himself to symbolize tree planting, or ”Pengsoop,“ a compound word meaning “Peng forest” in Korean to “raise awareness of the recent forest fires.”

To take part in the challenge, participants are required to post a video on Instagram performing a mission with the hashtag #REForest2022. They can choose from a range of simple missions including planting trees, introducing houseplants, picking up trash and using reusable cups. AFoCO said it will plant one mangrove tree in Vietnam with SK’s forestry beauty brand, Soofe’e, for every entry.

By Lee Seung-ku and (seungku99@heraldcorp.com) and Lee Kwon-hyung (kwonhl@heraldcorp.com)