The Australian Embassy has launched the “Australia-Korea 50” application for smartphone users in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“This application is the first-ever service created by an embassy in Korea and contains a lot of information about Australia, such as politics, diplomacy, culture and travel,” said Australian Ambassador Sam Gerovich.

The application offers a variety of content that allow users to enjoy Australia without visiting the country. A free-gift event awaits downloaders till the end of May.

The “Australia-Korea 50” iPhone application can be downloaded free from smartphone app stores and offers a range of information about Australia such as travel, study, culture, and technology as well as cultural contents, such as performances and exhibitions in Korea. 

The most prominent item is the “Event Calendar,” which shows a variety of Australia-related events unfolding in the nation.

For example, “This is Australia! Australia Special Concert” by William Barton, an Australian aboriginal didgeridoo player, and Suade, an Australian a cappella group will perform on May 24 at Samsung Hall in ECC.

“Serving as one of the leading Australian guides, I hope the application will familiarize more people with Australia by providing useful information and exciting events,” he said.

The application also presents a blog option for those who are curious about the latest news and gossip from the land down under.

There is also a multimedia section showcasing pictures and videos.

In the pictures category, there are stunning images from Australia and Australian shots in Korea and video clips of performances by Australian performances and interviews with Kong Hyo-jin and Lee Da-hae, goodwill ambassadors for Australia.

To highlight the celebration and make the application interactive in the real-world, the embassy has set up a contest where winners of a lucky draw will be awarded mobile gift coupons for coffee and cake.

Send pictures directly to www.twitter.com/australia50 until the end of May.

For online information about the golden anniversary, visit www.australiakorea50.com (Korean, English). The application can be downloaded directly from the iTunes application store.

By Yoav Cerralbo (yoav@heraldcorp.com)