Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo Gyoon (right), actor O Yeong-su (left), who was appointed promotional ambassador for Korean performance tourism, and dancer Monika, who was appointed promotional ambassador for the festival 2022 Welcome Daehangno, on July 25 take a commemorative photo at the ministry's Seoul office.

By Lee Kyoung Mi
Photos = Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Actor O Yeong-su from the Netflix series smash "Squid Game" and reality TV dancer Monika will lead the way in promoting Korean performance tourism.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 25 appointed O promotional ambassador for "Korean performance tourism" and Monika promotional ambassador for the festival 2022 Welcome Daehangno.

O and Monika's new post is for promoting abroad Korean performance and festivals and Daehangno (also spelled as Daehakro), the hub of domestic theater located in Seoul.

Appearing in "Squid Game" last year, the actor became the first Korean to win Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globe Awards of the U.S., further raising the stature of Korean pop culture. Having acted for more than 50 years, he continues to appear mainly in theater.

Monika appeared last year in the hit reality TV program "Street Woman Fighter," in which she helped create a dance fad in the country and advanced the field of dance.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo Gyoon said, "I am confident that these two promotional ambassadors will open a new horizon for Korean culture through vigorous activities," adding, "The ministry will also work together to achieve major progress in making Korea a world-class tourist destination through performance tourism."

O said, "Just as people watch Shakespearean plays when they go to the U.K. and Broadway musicals when they go to the U.S., I will work harder so that Daehangno in Korea gets similar recognition."

The ministry will hold the 2022 Welcome Daehangno festival from Sept. 24 to Oct. 30 in the Daehangno area of Seoul's Jongno-gu District. The event will feature a wealth of things to watch including nearly 100 performance works and performances on the street and online. 

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo Gyoon (left) on July 25 gives to actor O Yeong-su his certificate of appointment as promotional ambassador for Korean performance tourism at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Seoul office in the city's Yongsan-gu Office.