'Creativity is key to promoting Korean image overseas'

By Do Je-hae

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Over the last four decades, the Korea Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) has engaged in various endeavors to promote Korean culture and traditions overseas. KOCIS, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is running 24 offices abroad.

Demand for the services of overseas Korean centers is increasing, particularly in light of the sweeping success of "hallyu" or the Korean wave.

A key ingredient in the successful overseas promotion of Korea is the creative mindset and active involvement of people who run such centers, according to a veteran culture official and film expert. Kim Dong-ho, the founding director the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), is one of the most familiar faces in the Korean film industry.

He was speaking at a seminar hosted by KOCIS, organized to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its foundation on Dec. 31, 1971. Before dedicating himself to BIFF, he had been with the culture ministry for more than 30 years.

His career at the ministry peaked in 1992, when he was named vice minister.

"For 15 years that I was with BIFF, I visited many overseas offices of KOCIS. I find that what essentially drives these organizations is the people that work there", Kim said.

"Depending on the people and their attitude, the overseas promotion of Korea can be infinitely creative".

He referred to the London Korean Film Festival as one example.

Held at the Barbican Center and several other famous venues since 2005, the festival is hosted by the Korea Cultural Center in London. This year, it was held throughout November, screening various Korean films.

"The idea for this brilliant festival came from an associate director of the Korea Cultural Center in London at that time", the 74-year-old said. "Placing the right people in the right position can lead to effective results in the overseas promotion of our country".

He once participated in an interview to hire a PR expert to head the Korean Cultural Center in Paris several years ago.

"I was looking for someone with cultural expertise, an international mindset and vigorous spirit", Kim said.

KOCIS has undergone many organizational shifts with each new administration, leading to the prevalent criticism of the organization among some experts that its policies have lacked continuity.

In the 1950s, officials were devoid of the concept of "promoting Korea to the international community", according to Kim. They were more occupied with rebuilding the nation after the Korean War.

During this time, it was the newly founded English-language dailies like The Korea Times that acted as a voice for Korea in the outside world.

"It was in the 1970s and 1980s that the government started to devise policies for overseas promotions, establishing KOCIS in 1971", Kim explained.

During this time Kim was serving as director of public affairs office at the culture ministry.

"Back then, being sent abroad to work at overseas cultural centers was a dream. I studied Spanish for some time in the hope of being sent abroad, but that never happened", Kim said.

This was when the government started to found cultural centers in New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Paris and other major cities around the world.

The seminar was hosted by Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik and Seo Kang-soo, director of KOCIS. Former Culture Minister Lee O-young delivered a keynote speech, urging Korean people to adopt international manners for disseminating a good image of Korea.

KOCIS will hold a 40th anniversary reception on Dec. 19, with a special photo exhibition and cultural performances.