The Presidential Council on Nation Branding, Korea was established on January 22, 2009, by Executive Decree 21283 with the objective to develop Korea's national brand value, but was abolished on March 23, 2013. The country has made significant gains since the launch of the council in 2009 and it was dismantled by the new administration in 2013 as South Korea achieved a nation brand above the

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...

average, overtaking countries like

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, while approaching that of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

with

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

to be surpassed in the next couple of years. South Korea's nation brand ranked 17th in 2012, on track to achieving the council's goal of 15th place by 2013.

Background and objective

According to the

Simon Anholt Simon Anholt is an independent policy advisor who has worked to help develop and implement strategies for enhanced economic, political and cultural engagement with other countries. He is the founder of the Good Country Index. Anholt has been c ...

Report, nation branding refers to "how a country is seen by others". Other conceptualizations define nation branding as "strategic self-presentation of a country with the aim of creating reputational capital through economic, political, and social interest promotion at home and abroad." National brand today reflects the image of a country (

soft power In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-opt rather than coerce (contrast hard power). In other words, soft power involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. A defin ...

) more than its military or economic influence (

hard power In politics, hard power is the use of military and economic means to influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies. This form of political power is often aggressive (coercion), and is most immediately effective when imposed by one ...

) in the international world. Strong national brand translates into high respect and acceptance of that country by the

international community The international community is an imprecise phrase used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world. As a rhetorical term Aside from its use as a general descriptor, the term is ...

. To assess Korea’s current positioning and seek ways to improve and strengthen national brand in and out of Korea, governmental efforts continue. The so-called "Korea discount" phenomenon seems to reoccur amid some foreign media's distrust and distorted reports about the Korean economy. Now it is appropriate for the government to embark on a nation branding campaign to upgrade Korea's brand value in proportion to its economic power. The goal of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding is to raise Korea's brand from near the bottom of the member states of the

to the middle of the bloc (13 out of 31 countries) by 2013.

Status of Korean national brand

South Korea has been making substantial gains since the launch of the council, moving up to 26th in 2011 in the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index from a rank of 29th in 2010 and 32nd in 2008. The index does not publish results for South Korea since 2012. In a similar nation brand index that the Presidential Council on Nation Branding developed with

Samsung Economic Research Institute Samsung Economic Research Institute (SERI) is a private-sector think tanks in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a ...

, South Korea moved up to 17th in 2012 from 19th in 2010 and 20th in 2009. Backed by the world's most watched

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

video in history,

Gangnam Style "Gangnam Style" ( ko, 강남스타일, ) is a K-pop song by South Korean rapper Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The term ...

and hit products from

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

, the world's largest information technology company, for the first time, the country surpassed the average of the

in 2012, overtaking countries like

and

, while approaching that of

with

and

to be surpassed in the next couple of years.

Vision and strategy

Under the general motto "Korea, A Loving Embrace" the South Korean government aims in developing its country as a contributing nation with respected people and global corporations, and a caring society that promotes togetherness.

Vision

As its main goal, the Presidential Council on Nation Branding aims in (1) achieving national brand at the

average level and (2) entry of the Korean national brand as world top 15 by 2013.

Strategy

Strategies to implement its goals include, (1) accumulating national capacity through cooperation amongst the people, corporations, and government, (2) managing national brand by establishing a master plan and developing brand index, (3) pursuing customized policies in accordance to the needs of different sectors, and (4) creating a national brand motivating force through the expansion of a common national response. The Presidential Council on Nation Branding emphasizes on the following five strategic areas to increase national brand value: (1) Contribution to the international community, (2) embrace of multiculturalism and consideration for foreigners, (3) cultivation of

global citizenship Global citizenship is the idea that one's identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader class: "humanity". This does not mean that such a person denounces or waives ...

, (4) advertisement of modern technology and products, and (5) promotion of an attractive culture and tourism.

Functions

Three main functions of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding include: (1) General control tower on nation branding related issues of the

South Korean government The Government of South Korea is the union government of the South Korea, Republic of Korea, created by the Constitution of South Korea as the executive, legislative and judicial authority of the republic. The president acts as the head of sta ...

, (2) Effective execution of nation branding policies and related projects, and (3) Strengthening and expanding public-private partnerships as well as encouraging the participation of Korean nationals in nation branding activities. :(1) General control tower on nation branding related issues ::- Proposing mid- to long-term

visions Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...

and strategies ::- Establishing mid- to long-term goals and setting up annual plans, reviews, and modifications in achieving those goals :(2) Effective execution of nation branding policies and related projects: ::- Preventing misuse of

government budget A government budget is a document prepared by the government and/or other political entity presenting its anticipated tax revenues (Inheritance tax, income tax, corporation tax, import taxes) and proposed spending/expenditure (Healthcare, Educa ...

through appropriate

arbitration Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ' ...

of related national projects ::- Analytical review of related activities and projects to better the national branding system :(3) Strengthening and expanding public-private partnerships as well as encouraging the participation of Korean nationals ::- Developing new ideas and policies through suggestions made by Korean nationals ::- Locating and awarding model cases that have contributed to the increase of national brand

Structure

The council was led by its second chairperson, Lee Bae-yong from September 28, 2010. She was the President of Ewha Womans University. The first was Yoon-Dae Euh who had to leave the post after becoming the Chairman of KB Financial Group Inc. in June 2010. The former Chairperson Euh was former President of

Korea University Korea University (KU, ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea, established in 1905. The university is included as one of the SKY universities, a popular acronym referring to Korea's three most prestigious universities. The ...

(2003~2006), Vice Chair of the National Economic Advisory Council, Chairman of advisory board of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Policy Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Trade (1993~2004). Under the chairperson, the Head of the Secretariat plans and carries out the activities of the council, which is supported by five teams including

international cooperation In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Definitions Multilateralism, in the form of membership in international institutions, serves to bind powerful nations, discourage u ...

, corporate and

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

, the global community and overall coordination. A 19-member working-level body will assist the panel. The council consists of 47 members (34 appointed members and 13

ex officio member An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

s) as well as an international advisory forum of 34 members. The 34 appointed members are experts and CEOs of some of Korea’s corporate icons (

, SK Group, Korean Air, and

Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups: * Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested ** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company ** Hyundai ...

). The secretariat of the council carries out administrative related tasks to support the activities of the council.

Activities

There are ten main activities promoted by the Presidential Council on Nation Branding: (1) Shaping the Future with

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

, (2) Campus World: Global Korea Scholarship, Campus Asia, (3) Korean Supporters, (4) Global Korean Network, (5) Promoting Korean and Taekwondo, (6)

Global Citizenship Global citizenship is the idea that one's identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader class: "humanity". This does not mean that such a person denounces or waives ...

,(7) Advanced Technology & Design Korea, (8) Rainbow Korea, (9) Friendly Digital Korea, (10) Korea Brand Index. :(1) Shaping the Future with Korea ::This project includes strategic economic cooperation with developing and underdeveloped countries by passing down the Korean development experience. The project aims in expanding the Economic Hallyu (or Korean movement) worldwide. :(2) Campus World : Global Korea

Scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

, Campus Asia ::This project supports international students with scholarships to establish a group of scholars amicable to Korea. The project also promotes student exchange programs between

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

n universities to promote mutual understanding and interaction amongst future leaders in the Asian region. :(3) Korean Supporters " World Friends Korea" ::The government of Korea unified the government initiated international volunteer services under a new brand, World Friends Korea. The

synergy Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The term ''synergy'' comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία ' from ', , meaning "working together". History In Christia ...

increase is expected through strategic linkage between governmental agencies and departments. Korean Supporters aims at raising global outstanding individuals and national awareness through strengthening volunteer services capacity and enhancing national participation. ::The program will dispatch over 3,000 volunteers overseas every year, the second largest after some 8,000 from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. ::Korea’s foreign assistance policy is World Friends Korea, roughly equivalent to the U.S.

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...

. The Presidential Council on Nation Branding will play a coordinating role through its oversight of the various volunteer programs that government agencies have traditionally operated. Volunteers will be tasked with promoting Korea’s culture and

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...

around the world as well as working in areas such as

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

, and the

environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

. :(4) Global Korean Network ::This project aims in binding 7 million overseas Koreans into a single network.

Capacity building Capacity building (or capacity development, capacity strengthening) is the improvement in an individual's or organization's facility (or capability) "to produce, perform or deploy". The terms ''capacity building'' and ''capacity development'' ha ...

of overseas Koreans and strengthening ties with their mother country, Korea may possibly bring in contributions to increasing brand value of Korea. :(5) Promoting the

Korean language Korean ( South Korean: , ''hangugeo''; North Korean: , ''chosŏnmal'') is the native language for about 80 million people, mostly of Korean descent. It is the official and national language of both North Korea and South Korea (geographic ...

::This project includes establishing a Korean language e-learning system and increase knowledge of the Korean language through unifying Korean learning institutes as a single brand. ::In October 2009, the Korean administration announced its plan to set up 150 Korean-language schools, called the

King Sejong Institute King Sejong Institute () is the brand name of Korean-language institutes established by the South Korean government around the world since 2007. The institute's name refers to Sejong the Great, the inventor of the Korean alphabet. As of June 2021 ...

, overseas by 2015 as part of efforts to promote cultural exchanges. The schools will play a central role in globalizing the

Korean alphabet The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...

, as well as providing information about the country.http://nation-branding.info/2009/11/11/south-korea-non-stop-nation-brandin1 :(6) Promoting Taekwondo ::This project aims in branding Taekwondo as a prestigious and internationally recognized sport. Through Taekwondo, the council wishes to introduce Korean culture and spiritual value and develop cultural contents and tourist products. The council will also assist in systemizing Taekwondo academies abroad. :(7)

Global citizenship Global citizenship is the idea that one's identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader class: "humanity". This does not mean that such a person denounces or waives ...

::This project is a hospitality campaign towards foreigners either living or visiting Korea. The project will assist Korean nationals in raising global etiquette and internet ethics. :(8) Advanced Technology & Design Korea: ::This project includes positioning the best quality products made in Korea as “Premium Korea” and publicize Korean luxuries through these products. :(9) Rainbow Korea ::This project aims in assisting multicultural families to become healthy members of the Korean society. Infrastructure and economic assistance toward multicultural families in Korea are to be provided through this project. :(10) Friendly Digital Korea ::Friendly Digital Korea is a project utilizing broadcasting technology and infrastructure to enhance communication with the international world. Through this project, the council aims in creating an accessible image of Korea by the international community and communicate better with the international world through various contents. :(11) Korea Brand Index ::Managing a general national brand index by developing indexes of brand related activities from each government agency. The future works of the Council include establishing general vision and strategies in implementing and managing its activities, establishing a feedback system to have proper knowledge of each activity’s implementation process, enhance public-private partnership and encourage participation of Korean nationals, and suggest and cooperate in revising policies and laws related to branding activities.

Advanced Technology and Design Korea

Project Advanced Technology and Design Korea, sponsored by

KOTRA KOTRA (Korea Trade Promotion Corporation initially, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency since 1995) is a state-funded trade and investment promotion organization operated by the Government of South Korea.Ministry of Knowledge Economy, this project aims itself to be the go to place in order to find information about Korea’s most innovative technology, design and business. Its mission is to break past stereotypes and shed the old image that the world may have of Korea and uncover the colorful and future-forward quality of the advancements that are hidden within this nation.

Funding

The total amount of money spent annually on global branding by separate organizations will reach 100 billion

won Won may refer to: *The Korean won from 1902–1910 *South Korean won, the currency of the Republic of Korea *North Korean won, the currency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea * Won (Korean surname) * Won (Korean given name) * Won Buddhis ...

($74 million) fund branding campaigns at home and abroad. The council itself has an annual budget of 8 billion won ($5.8 million)

References

External links

국가브랜드위원회

Presidential Council on Nation Branding

Presidential Council on Nation Branding Opens
Korea Times, January 22, 2009
Promotion of Korea's Nation Brand
JoongAng Ilbo, March 24, 2009
South Korea's non-stop Nation Banding Programme
Nation Branding
KEI's Academic Paper Series
Korea Economic Institute
Korea Focus

Nation Branding: Everything about Nation Branding and Country Brands
{{authority control Government agencies of South Korea Economy of South Korea