'I perform with all my heart and soul'

Singer and rapper Psy, left, and Choi Jung-wha, president of Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) smile in a pre-recorded interview as Choi awards the Korea Image Stepping Stone Award to the singer of "Gangnam
Style." / Courtesy of CICI

Psy, YouTube, pianist prodigy get CICI award

The Korea Image Budding Youth Award went to pianist Lee Hyuk, the youngest winner of the 8th
International Chopin Competition for Young
Pianists in Moscow last year.
/ Courtesy of CICI

Anthony Zameczkowski, Head of Music Partnerships, YouTube APAC, received the Korea Image
Stepping Stone Bridge Award on behalf of the company.

By Rachel Lee

Decked out in his signature sunglasses and suit, singer and rapper Psy expressed thanks Tuesday on receiving the Korea Image Stepping Stone Award from the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI).

"The year 2012 was unforgettable," said Psy in an interview that was pre-recorded with Choi Jung-hwa, president of CICI. "Due to the language barrier, I have done every single performance with all my heart and soul, and I believe in Gangnam Style there is something more powerful than language."

CICI hosted the Korea Image Award 2013, which was held at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. CICI is an institution that has brought together experts to brainstorm innovative methods to promote Korea. It marks the 10th anniversary of its founding this year.

The 35-year-old singer said that he did initially wonder if he should translate the song, but didn't and found that decision rewarding.

"Foreign fans told me that there is a texture to the (Korean) language that they found dynamic," said Psy, adding that he plans to put a lot of Korean into his soon-to-be released new single.

YouTube was awarded the Korea Image Stepping Stone Bridge Award for playing a key role in encouraging the popularity of Gangnam Style and other "hallyu" or Korean wave content. Anthony Zameczkowski, head of Music Partnerships, YouTube APAC, attended the event and received the award on behalf of the company. Pianist Lee Hyuk, the youngest the youngest winner of the 8th International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow last year, received the Korea Image Budding Youth Award.

"Korea, once known as the Hermit Kingdom, has become a creative and dynamic country," Choi said. "This change has focused world attention on Korean culture. I am very proud that Korea has become a leading country in the cultural filed, promoting both its traditional and modern culture."

The award ceremony kicked off with calligrapher Kang Byung-in's hangeul (Korean alphabet) calligraphy performance. His impressive works illustrating Psy's horse-riding dance movements with Gangnam Style as background music wowed the audiences receiving much applause.

Dignatories and winners of the Korea Image Award 2013 pose after the ceremony held Tuesday at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. They are Choe Kwang-shik, fifth from left, minister of culture, sports and tourism, and Choi Jung-wha, center, president of Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI). Others include former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo; pianist Lee Hyuk; Jasmine Lee, the Philippine-born lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party; and "Little Psy" Hwang Min-woo.
/ Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Lee also performed after receiving his award.

Some 800 guests, including Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik, former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, and leaders from the diplomatic and business community attended the annual event.

"Global interest in Korean culture has now expanded far beyond the Asian region to all corners of the world under the name of hallyu. I believe this trend stems from the originality and dynamism offered by Korean culture, as well as efforts to modernize our traditional culture," Choe said at the ceremony.

The year 2012 was pivotal for Koreans and their self-image.

Singer and rapper Psy's "Gangnam Style" went completely viral, storming the world's leading music charts and becoming the most viewed on YouTube. Then on Dec. 19, a single female, Park Geun-hye, was elected president.

Choi, who is also a professor of interpretation and translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said that these developments were cataclysmic in changing the world's view on Korea.

"My foreign friends and acquaintances sent me emails after the presidential election, saying that the news astonished them because they think this vertical society still exists in Korea. Park's election definitely proves the country is more open than ever before," Choi said in a prior telephone interview.

"When we surveyed foreign nationals, divided country or Korean War were the first things that came to mind until 2011 but the Korean wave and conglomerates like Samsung and LG took over last year. Especially K-pop and television dramas have contributed to the creation of the country's forward-looking and dynamic image."

Apart from the awards, CICI asked 502 foreigners and locals about the most representative image of Korea, which the respondents said were corporations such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG. The image of Korea as a divided nation came in second, while K-pop singers such as Psy, Big Bang and Girls' Generation came in third.

More than 70 percent of both Korean and foreign participants said that they came to better know Korea through Psy. Concerning the question of how long hallyu can remain popular, 35 percent of foreigners said that it will last for more than 10 years from now while Koreans expected that it will continue for just four to six years. The institute says that hallyu has lasted for more than 20 years since it burgeoned around the late 1990s in some Asian countries such as China and Japan due to the explosive popularity of Korean dramas.

"Now it has spread to Europe, North America and South America through various genres. It is distinguishable that foreigners expected the longer stay of the hallyu population than Koreans did," Choi said.

She added that plans are currently underway to provide individualized tour programs that are designed for foreign visitors to enjoy the essence of Korea.

Previous prize awardees of the Stepping Stone Award include singer Rain, maestro Chung Myung-whun, Cheonggye Stream and the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.