Korean Culture Centers Urged to
Put More Energyinto Publicizing
Korean Brand Abroad

MCT Minister Kim delivers five tasks for Korean culture centers abroad to implement

Minister of Culture and Tourism Kim Jong-min has urged the heads of the Korean cultural centers around the world to focus on publicizing Korea's national brand to the general public of their host countries.
Kim announced five tasks for the foreign culture center chiefs to implement in a teleconference, hooking up the minister at the Korea Cultural Center in Los Angeles, the MCT bureau chiefs in Seoul and the Korean cultural center chiefs in Beijing, Tokyo, Osaka, Paris, New York and Buenos Aires at 10 a.m. on Nov. 7.
The minister held the teleconference on his way back from "Korea, Sparkling in New York 2007,"a Korean tourism promotional program designed to promote tourism in Korea in time for the opening of the UN general assembly, the first one presided over by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon since his inauguration.
"First,"Minister Kim said, "Publicize it."He said Korean cultural centers abroad have to put more energy into publicizing Korea's national brand to the people of their host countries.
To this end, Minister Kim urged the participants to make the most of global media outlets like Korea's Arirang TV channel. The ministry is considering establishing 30 Korean Cultural Centers across the globe, and they will be told to attach priority on enhancing the value of Korea's brand.
"Second,"he said, "be on familiar terms."He called on the Korean cultural centers to play essential roles in getting Korean culture more recognized by the people of their host countries. To this end, he said, they should focus on the quality of cultural events, including Hangul (Korean alphabet) learning programs and a continued relationship with program participants in order to spread the word to their neighbors.
"Third,"he said, "sell it."Minister Kim told them to achieve gains by conducting local marketing activities to promote Korean cultural products. He called on them to build up networks for sharing information with Korean institutions abroad in order to do away with each institution's egoism and to step up strategic alliances.
"Fourth,"he said, "send more inbound arrivals."He urged the Korean cultural center chiefs to do their utmost to increase the number of inbound foreigners visiting Korea. About 30 million of the U.S." population of 300 million travel abroad, while 14 million of Korea's population of 48 million leave Korea for travel. The culture center chiefs were told to attract the same number of inbound visitors as the outbound departures. To this end, he instructed the culture center chiefs to work on comprehensive measures to correct the imbalance with Korean embassies, consulate offices, Kotra and KNTO overseas offices.
"Fifth,"he said, "be trusted."Minister Kim stressed the need for culture center staff to show a more volunteering attitude by offering services that the local Korean communities and institutions want in order to earn their trust. He urged the cultural centers to strengthen their identity by sharing diverse real-time information among the ministry headquarters and overseas outlets and providing the right information at the right time.
Minister Kim, staying in Los Angeles, participated in the teleconference while the cultural policy bureau chief, on a business tour in Paris, joined in what was a regular MCT senior officials"teleconference.
The ministry plans to hold a regular teleconference with the Korean cultural centers once per month, officials said. nw

(left photo) Minister of Culture and Tourism Kim Jong-min. MCT Minister Kim, on a business trip to the United States, holds a teleconference with MCT senior officials in Seoul and Korean cultural center chiefs abroad on Nov. 7.