Promoting the Korean National Brand in America

As the Republic of Korea continues to grow as an economic and cultural force around the world, managing the country's image abroad - or national brand - has become an increasingly important priority.

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The chairwoman of Korea's Presidential Council on Nation Branding, Dr. Lee Bae Yong, recently spoke on her visit to the United States about the importance of Korean Americans understanding and celebrating their Korean cultural roots in hopes of raising the value of the Korean brand among the general U.S. public. An audience of more than 120 attended the speech by the former head of Ewha Womans University at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens just outside Washington D.C. on July 13.

As diplomats in their daily lives, Koreans abroad and those with Korean heritage can promote national and cultural values on the international stage by learning about their history and celebrating it confidently, Lee said.

Lee asserted that Korean culture and the national brand are undervalued because of lack of exposure to international audiences. As a remedy, Lee shared her mantra of Ju Jeon Ja-which literally means 'kettle' in Korean, but the word's three syllables stand individually for ownership, professionalism, and self-esteem, or confidence. Korean Americans should embrace this approach to their culture, she said.

To raise appreciation of Korean history among the audience, Lee also introduced several Korean cultural artifacts, individuals, and historic sites, such as Baekje Keum Dong Yong Bong Hyang Ro, a 7th century golden incent burner of the Baekje Kingdom, King Sejong, who oversaw the creation of the Korean written language, Hangul, and Seo San Mae Sam Chon Bool Sang, a famous statue of Buddha carved into rock

Pointing to the success of Pyeongchang as the recently announced host city of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Lee celebrated the positive future for the Korean brand name in the global community. She also applauded the behind-the-scenes efforts of those who had struggled to bring the Olympics back to Korea for more than decade.

The event was attended by Jimmy Rhee, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Sue Webb, Chairperson of Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, and Director Jin Soo Nam of the Korean Cultural Center, among others who offered greetings and remarks.

By Erin Kim