Conference on Korea’s Nation Brand

Participants engaged in a vital discussion on the impact of the upcoming G20 Seoul Summit and North Korea’s leadership succession on South Korea’s nation brand

- The Presidential Council on Nation Branding (Chairwoman: Lee Bae-Yong) hosted a Conference on Korea’s Nation Brand on Wednesday, October 27 from 14:00 to 17:00 at the Convention Hall of the Grand Hilton Seoul. Discussions were held on the impact of the upcoming G20 Seoul Summit and North Korea’s hereditary power succession on the South's nation brand.

- The conference commenced with a welcoming address by Lee Bae-Yong, the newly appointed chairwoman of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, followed by a keynote speech delivered by Margaret Key, CEO of Burson-Marsteller Korea. Panelists then gave presentations on various issues related to the agenda of the conference. At the end of the conference, participants reached a consensus that Korea needs to strengthen the effort to promote its positive image and should serve as a bridge between advanced and developing nations through the G20 Seoul Summit.

- The conference was participated by eminent scholars and experts as well as foreign correspondents from major news agencies such as the Washington Times, the Asahi Shimbun and the International Business Times. They engaged in a heated discussion on the effects of the G20 Seoul Summit and the recent issue of North Korea’s power succession on the South’s nation brand. “In order to strengthen its nation brand, South Korea must take the initiative to form dialogue with North Korea,” said Andrew Salmon of the Washington Times. He also stressed the role of South Korean companies, adding, “It is also important to promote Korea's global corporate brands to the world because they can play a critical role in shaping a positive image of the country.” Hakoda Tetsuya, who heads the Seoul office of the Asahi Shimbun, said, “In order to improve its nation brand, South Korea will need to raise the public awareness of major political and cultural issues.” Meanwhile, Ryan Lee, publisher and CEO of the International Business Times Korea, drew attention to the lukewarm response of the South Korean government: “I do not believe that North Korea’s leadership succession will have any significant impact on South Korea. However, the South Korean government can be more active in its relationship with the northern counterpart.”

- “South Korea has left some negative impressions on the global perception with frequent labor disputes and war threats from the North and such,” said Cha Yoon-Ho, a member of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding who also practiced law in Russia. “We need to convey true aspects of South Korea through the G20 Seoul Summit. We cannot ignore the fact that our country is divided, but just pointing fingers to each other will not solve anything. We need to come up with a more rational response.” Meanwhile, Han Sang-Pil, President of the Korea Advertising Society, emphasized the importance of a concrete vision and planning: “I think that Korea's nation brand comes far short of its economic prowess. The upcoming G20 Seoul Summit will be a great opportunity for us to enhance our political and economic profile on the international stage. In addition, it will also inspire pride among the Korean people. For this to happen, we need to set more detailed goals and visions.”

- Following the several rounds of academic discussion, a media roundtable was hosted for foreign correspondents based in Seoul. Lee Bae-Yong, chairwoman of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, explained the reason for hosting the conference, “On the occasion of the G20 Seoul Summit, the Presidential Council on Nation Branding has been endeavoring to build a stronger brand identity for South Korea. However, we are concerned about the possible negative impacts of North Korea’s recent move to pursue a third-generation power succession on the South's nation brand. And we decided to host a gathering to seek ways for enhancing South Korea’s international standing and promoting its nation brand around the world.” Chairwoman Lee also asked for continuous attention to the work of the Council. Prof. Lee Doo-Hee, a member of the Council, added, “As many foreign correspondents pointed out, our nation is divided into North and South, and new developments surrounding the Korean peninsula always affect us. We will spare no efforts to raise South Korea’s profile and deliver true images of the nation to the world. I would like to thank you for your attention and ask you to pay continuous attention to what is going on in the country.”

The Presidential Council on Nation Branding (PCNB) was established on January 22, 2009 to enhance Korea's national status and prestige in the international community by implementing systematic and comprehensive strategies.

EdelmanKorea
18th Floor, Ferrum Tower 66, Suha-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-210, Korea

This release was published on openPR.