G20 is coming soon. And the Lee Myung-bak administration has decided to mount a massive charm offensive for the most important guests to the event who will shape the way the world audience will feel about the global gathering: foreign journalists.
The local daily, Dong-a Ilbo, said the government has embarked on a plan to “earn the hearts and minds of nearly 3,000 foreign journalists,” who will descend upon Seoul to cover the G20 conference.
The just completed the Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix taught a good lesson for the government, it said when an Italian newspaper complained about ubiquitous presence of 'love motels' and other lack of preparations during the car race event.
“The Formula 1 event itself was successful. But an internal government review revealed that we had only limited success in earning the hearts and minds of foreign journalists who came over to cover the event,” a senior government official told the newspaper.
“At G20, we shouldn’t repeat the same mistake,” he said.
The senior official, who remained anonymous in the report, said: “In terms of promoting Korea’s image abroad, journalists are better than the heads of the state.”
The official said the government will unleash a plan to meet various reporting needs of foreign journalists, which will include 12 different press tours and a meeting with a South Korean diplomat who handles North Korean affairs, as foreign journalists are likely to be interested in North Korean issue, it said.
About 1,700 journalists have officially registered with the G20 preparation committee. But the actual journalists who will visit are expected to number 3,000.
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