Girl group Rescene has become the first group of celebrities to be awarded honorary citizenship in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.
The Geoje City Council on Wednesday approved a proposal to grant honorary citizenship to all members of Rescene during the second plenary session of its 265th extraordinary meeting.
The city had submitted the proposal under an ordinance that allows honorary citizenship to be awarded to individuals who have contributed to raising Geoje’s profile, among other criteria.
As of the end of 2025, Geoje had named 67 honorary citizens. Previous recipients have included representatives of shipping companies that contributed to the local economy and medical professionals who were involved in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rescene developed close ties to Geoje, as it is the hometown of member Woni.
The city also became closely associated with the group after a YouTube video released in March, in which Japanese member Minami casually responded with the expression “Geoje, yaho!” — roughly meaning “Hi, Geoje!”
The exchange, and the two members' subsequent visit to the city, quickly went viral, drawing wider attention to Rescene and its music.
The group was appointed a promotional ambassador for Geoje in May.
The date of a ceremony formally recognizing the Rescene members as honorary citizens has yet to be determined.
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
