The Corea Image Communication Institute is an organization whose main goal is to promote Korea and Korean culture on a global level. The institution organizes international events and annually honors people, events or even landmarks that promote Korea’s positive brand image.

In order to create a dialogue between cultural leaders regarding Korean culture, the CICI hosted the Culture 20, a meeting of leading cultural figures from the G20 countries. In order to maximize the effect of the 2010 G20 Seoul Summit, this forum provided an opportunity to showcase the true essence of Korean culture and introduce not only the city of Seoul but Korea as a nation. The C20 provided its participants with the opportunity to learn about Korean culture by visiting Korean traditional and modern attractions and tasting traditional Korean food.

Following the success of the C20, the institution organized the annual Culture Communication Forum to commemorate the G20 Seoul Summit. The participants of the CCF take part in a variety of cultural programs to experience Korea and then discuss their experiences at the forum, comparing Korea’s culture with their own.

This year’s CCF was held under the theme of “Communicating through Culture: The Key to Opening Hearts and Minds,” which presented aspects of Korean and global culture to international cultural leaders and stimulated free exchange of opinions about culture.

The CICI also hosts overseas events to promote Korea abroad and to enhance the country’s brand image. In 2007, celebrated pianist Kim Sun-wook and the non-verbal martial arts performance “Jump” were showcased in Paris. The organization held an event that exhibited the art of Korean cuisine in Washington D.C. in 2009 and also hosted a Korean food festival at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai and New Delhi in 2011. This was the first-ever event to promote Korean cuisine in India.

Annual awards

In addition to organizing cultural forums, the CICI annually presents awards to the people, events or landmarks that have contributed the most to enhancing the image of Korea during the past year.

The Korea Image Stepping Stone Award recognizes those who have contributed to promoting Korea’s positive image. This year’s winner was the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games Bid Committee. After entering three consecutive bids, the committee successfully won the country’s first opportunity to host the Winter Olympic Games.

President Lee Myung-bak received the award in 2006 for his role in the construction of the Cheonggycheon, back when he was the Seoul mayor. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is known for leading reforms in global peacekeeping and climate change, received the award in 2007.

Saenuri Party lawmaker Jasmine Lee, a Filipino-Korean, was awarded with the 2012 Korea Image Millstone Award, which is given to people who have successfully assimilated into Korean society and helped the nation become a better place. Just a few months after receiving this recognition, she won a seat at the 19th Korean National Assembly as a proportional representative during the general elections held in April.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)