‘All Eyes on Korea’ campaign launched in London

By Do Je-hae

The London Olympic Games will begin on July 27, but promotions for the 3-month cultural campaign for Korea will begin next week, at the initiative of the U.K. Korean Cultural Center.

“We will start a street promotion campaign titled All Eyes on Korea: Shining Bright, Korea Through Colors on June 26, 30 days ahead of the opening ceremony of the games,” WonYong-gi, director of the center, said in a statement Tuesday.

“Posters for the campaign will be set up in 30 subway stations in London and we will hand out promotional souvenirs at major venues in London, including Oxford Circus, the Southbank Centre and Trafalgar Square,” Won said.

The center has selected 50 Londoners to take part in the promotional events. They will wear T-shirts by Korean designer Lie Sang-bong.
The “All Eyes on Korea” campaign will feature renowned Korean artists including soprano Jo Su-mi, maestro conductor Chung Myung-whun, “pansori” singer Lee Ja-ram and Lie, who will perform at the Southbank Centre. Violinist Sarah Chang and pianist Kim Sun-wook will also give performances, while events to showcase Korean literature, films, food and K-pop will take place as well.

The campaign will be organized through cooperation between the culture ministry and the Korea Culture and Information Service, which serves as a control tower for the 24 Korean cultural centers abroad.

Korea is the only country invited by the Southbank Centre in the British capital to provide promotional events coinciding with the Olympics, according to Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik.

“What we will try to do in London is show the best of Korea’s modern and traditional culture,” Choe said in a previous interview with The Korea Times. “Going into these Games, our focus is not entirely on the medal count as before. We are as committed to informing the world that Korea is not just an emerging economy, but a nation of rich tradition and history.”

Some of the minister’s own ideas have been incorporated into the Southbank program. “We will have a fashion show on July 29 to showcase masterpieces of Lie, one of the hottest designers in Korea today. Reflecting my suggestion, the stage for this show will be decorated with a traditional Korean roof.”

The Korean Cultural Center U.K. has a strong background in developing unique ideas for promoting Korea.

In 2010, the center organized a charity event involving renowned Korean painters, who donated their work to be sold at Sotheby’s. Proceeds went to support overseas war veterans who had fought in the Korean War (1950-1953).