APEC Summit Upgraded Korea’s Image
- Contents
-
Scholars attend a seminar on the APEC forum and Korea’ national image in Busan Friday. The seminar was organized by the Korean Academic Society for Public Relations. /KOIS
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Busan last month helped significantly enhance Korea’s image among world leaders, local public relations experts said Friday.
During a seminar, titled “APEC and National Image,” the experts agreed that the nation’s hosting of the APEC meeting boosted Korea’s national brand and image, as the event provided an opportunity for the leaders of 21 countries and over 3,000 businesspeople and journalists to witness Korea’s open, democratized and dynamic society.The seminar, held in Busan, was organized by the Korean Academic Society for Public Relations at Pukyong National University.
“The successful hosting of the summit helped define the national identity of Korea in the way that is different from sports events such as the World Cup soccer games and the Olympics,” said Shin Ho-chang, chairman of the society and a communications professor at Sogang University in Seoul.
“In particular, the ‘Dynamic Korea’ slogan was in perfect harmony with the ‘Dynamic Busan’ campaign, creating synergies for the ‘Dynamic Korea’ national brand,” he added. “Without an excellent national image and brand, it is impossible to join the ranks of advanced countries.”
During the APEC summit on Nov. 18-19, leaders of the APEC member economies were deeply impressed by various aspects of Korea, from its traditional culture to its high-technology prowess, he said.
An Bo-seob, an advertisement and public relations professor at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, noted that the APEC summit also lifted Busan’s image as an international city, helping the nation’s second largest metropolis attract investment to emerge as a global logistics hub.
Echoing those views, Professor Kim Chan-suk of Chongju University said, “At a time when countries are engaged in brand competition, the successful hosting of the APEC forum produced meaningful results in promoting the brand of Korea.”
The Korean Overseas Information Service (KOIS), a government agency for overseas public relations, also took advantage of the opportunity to promote the national brand, decorating the summit venues and an international media center with “Dynamic Korea” banners, and offering booklets and other multimedia materials.
“Now, academia, the government, civil society, and the corporate sector should cooperate under a common goal and strategy for enhancing the national image,” Yoo Jae-woong, director of the KOIS, said in a keynote speech.
Around 100 scholars and public relations experts attended the seminar.
The source of news : The Korea Times 12-09-2005 17:32
