Since its establishment as an overseas public information center under the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Dec. 31, 1971, the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) has been greatly contributing to the spread of Korea’s positive image abroad.
It also runs 33 Korean Cultural Centers in 28 nations, which serve as a foothold for promoting Korean culture worldwide.
Marking the 50th anniversary of his year, the KOCIS renovated the Foreign Press Support Center, which opened in 2013, and renamed it the KOCIS Center.
The center supports foreign correspondents residing in Seoul, and expanded its role as a communication point between foreign media and the Korean government’s ministries and other organizations.
The KOCIS Center was transformed into a space that responds to COVID-19. It boasts a multi-purpose hall with advanced LED video equipment, a conference room, a cafeteria, a filming room, an editing room, a personal studio, an interview room and an office of the Korean government’s spokespersons, among others.
In addition, the KOCIS Center opened its official website (www.KOCISCenter.kr). The website provides all non-face-to-face services for foreign journalists, including sharing promotional schedules for foreign media outlets, providing information about foreign journalists’ participation in briefings, the distribution of press releases, reservations for the center’s facilities and the issuance of press cards.
The opening of the KOCIS Center reflects efforts to better communicate with foreign media outlets by the Korean government, including ministries such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
“Global interest in and expectations for Korea led to the glorious achievement of Hallyu (the Korean Cultural Wave),” KOCIS Director Park Jung-youl said during the ceremony.
“To engage the world more actively, we will strengthen our role as a platform for disseminating Korean culture and communicating related policies throughout the globe.” “The opening of the newly refurbished KOCIS Center and today’s commemorative ceremony are the starting point,” Park said.
Mentioning the active role of BTS and the global popularity of the Korean Netflix TV series “Squid Game,” the director added, “The whole world is paying attention to Korean cultural content which attests to the high status of Korean culture.”
“We will strengthen our roles as a platform for spreading Korean culture and better communications between Korea and the world,” Park stressed.
The event reflected on past promotional activities by the KOCIS and presented the agency’s plans. Congratulatory videos were shown from “K-influencers,” or foreign experts in promoting Korean content, and Korea.net’s honorary reporters.
Individuals and organizations who promoted and helped the development of Korean culture also received awards from the culture ministry.
An official image of KOCIS’ 50th anniversary. (Photos: KOCIS)
In addition, at the 50th anniversary ceremony, the KOCIS gave the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s commendations to people and groups that have worked hard to promote overseas Korean culture and cooperation with the KOCIS.
Mark Peterson, a professor emeritus at Brigham Young University of the U.S., expressed his gratitude for receiving the commendation and said he will continue conveying messages about Korea through analyzing and explaining Korean culture. He is a regular contributor of columns for Korea.net on rebutting historical distortions by Japan.
Those who also received the commendations were Mohammad Khawaja in Abu Dhabi and Timothy Atkinson, a professor at the Hankook University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. Mohammad Khawaja, CEO of Cinema Space, contributed to the spread of Korean movies by running a non-profit film screening program “Cinema Space” in Abu Dhabi.
Professor Atkinson supported the production of high-quality English promotional materials by putting Korean texts in various overseas promotional materials about Korea into English based on his deep understanding of Korean society.
The Japan-Korea Theater Exchange Center led by Chairman Yoshio Ozasa, a Japanese citizen, took home the commendation as a group for contributing to the promotion of Korean theater plays in Japan and exchanges of Korean and Japanese thespians.
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