Actor Park Bo-gum is this year's honorary ambassador for globally promoting tourism in Korea. He is shown on July 29 seeing a commercial he appears in at his appointment ceremony and screening of tourism videos at the culture and arts center SJ Kunsthalle in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District.
By Xu Aiying
Photos = Lee Jeongwoo
Video = Korea Tourism Organization's official YouTube channel
Actor Park Bo-gum is this year's honorary ambassador for promoting to the world tourism in Korea.
The Hallyu (Korean Wave) superstar on July 29 received his certificate of appointment from Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jang Miran at SJ Kunsthalle, a culture and arts complex, in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District, to officially begin his promotional activities.
This year's campaign to promote domestic tourism abroad is "Never Ending Korea." Park at the ceremony said anyone can be the protagonist in Korea based on personal preference and sentiment and encouraged people around the world to experience the country firsthand.
"I'm both grateful and honored to be invited and appointed to this precious position to share Korea's appeal with the world," he said while clad in a modern Hanbok (traditional clothing). "I will strive to be an actor and ambassador who introduces the beauty of Korea to many people."
Two ads on tourism in Korea for the global market featuring Park and vlog (cookie) videos were shown at the ceremony. The first ad was a short clip used a fantasy theme highlighting the actor's career, while the second was a music video with a subcharacter and a spontaneous trip among best friends.
Park also sang the music video's theme song "On My Way." KZ Lab, the production team under K-pop producer Kenzie, helped compose the lyrics and music.
A ceremony on July 29 marks the appointment of actor Park Bo-gum as this year's honorary ambassador for promoting tourism in Korea and preview of tourism ads at the culture and arts venue SJ Kunsthalle in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District. From left are acting Korea Tourism Organization President Seo Young-choong, Park, and Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jang Miran.
The commercials "Gyeongsang, Where Energy Never Sleeps" and "Jeolla, Where Beauty Moves Hearts" were also shown. Both clips seek to revive tourism in the Gyeongsang-do region, which was devastated by massive wildfires in March, and the Jeolla-do provinces, which are reeling from the plane crash at Muan International Airport in Muan-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province, on Dec. 29 last year.
Both videos aesthetically depict the distinctive traits of the two regions through art and music. The Gyeongsang-do video spotlights Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, the host city of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in fall.
Through November, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization will jointly screen promotional clips of tourism in the country on the billboards of landmarks in 16 global cities like Times Square in New York, Tokyo, Beijing and Bangkok, Thailand. Their tourism campaign targets key markets spanning about 20 countries through platforms such as YouTube and Netflix.
xuaiy@korea.kr