N. Korea Overshadows South’s Images Abroad

By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

The reputation of a country has a direct impact on almost every way it engages with the rest of the world: Its products, its politics, its people, its culture, its ability to attract tourists and investment, all are underpinned by its image.

If the country's image is weak, out of date or negative, there is no doubt that this can seriously obstruct many of the things the country wants to do in the world.

South Korea, despite the impressive and substantial progress it has made over the past decades in the economy and other various fields, is still widely unknown to a majority in Europe and the West.

This situation is particularly striking if it is compared with the international standing of Korea's neighbors, such as Japan and China, according to Rudiger Frank, a professor of East Asian economy and society and vice director of the East Asian Institute at the University of Vienna.

``Ironically, it is mainly the negative news around North Korea that directs Western public attention at the peninsula. The many positive features of South Korea remain widely unnoticed,'' Frank told The Korea Times.

Being aware of this problem, Korea launched the Presidential Council on Nation Branding in January to address misunderstanding of Korea's economy and culture in the world and enhance its global reputation.

Euh Yoon-dae, former president of Korea University in Seoul, chairs the council, which will play a central role in reorganizing the government's branding campaign and report its activities to President Lee Myung-bak.

According to surveys, negative images of South Korea are associated with North Korea, their separation, violent demonstrations and labor unions, to name a few.

On the other side, Seoul also has many positive images. The world commonly views Korean people as being industrious. Many countries are also envious of Korea's technological achievements. Mobile phones, the Internet and televisions are the pride of Korea, according to Chairman Euh.

``It is very regretful that the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) on the border with North Korea has become a famous tourist attraction. Korean travel agencies unthinkingly take foreign tourists there. In terms of nation branding, it is a really bad idea,'' Euh said. ``I suggest tours to the plants of Hyundai Heavy Industries and POSCO on the eastern coast to help foreigners experience the dynamism of the Korean economy.''

The professor said the reasons for Korea's weak brand are mainly historical.

``Europeans have been in touch with China and Japan for many centuries. Accordingly, powerful idealistic ideas about these countries and their cultures have been created in Europe that led to trends such as Chinoiserie and Japonism among the upper class and its later emulation by the masses,'' Frank said.

He noted that tea, porcelain, Confucius, Shaolin, Buddhism, Samurai, Ninja, lacquer ware, silk, Chinese characters, etc., all have become highly popular images that are associated with China or Japan.

``The actual correctness and adequateness of such idealistic stereotypes does not matter for the general public. It will be virtually impossible to modify views that are so deeply embedded in the minds of a majority, especially since they are not an everyday priority for their holders,'' he said.

In this context, the successful Korea of today cannot build on a long tradition of interest in Europe, said Frank.

``This creates a serious problem: many Korean achievements, names, brands are not known as such. In the worst case, they are even wrongly associated with Japan or China,'' the professor said.

Frank has engaged in years-long study on both South and North Korea.

He spent one semester as a language student at Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang in 1991-92. He was one of the presenters and resource persons at the European Union-North Korea workshops on economic cooperation and reform in Pyongyang in 2004-05 and offered testimony on North Korea for the European Parliament in 2006.

Frank will meet Chairman Euh today in Seoul to discuss Korea's branding activities and what it has to focus to enhance its global image.

South Korea aims to raise Korea's standing in the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index, one of the most widely accepted measurements of a country's global image, from the current 33rd among 50 countries to 15th place by 2013.

To attain the goal, Korea will increase its contributions to the international community, develop its technological prowess, nurture its culture and tourism industries and promote policies for foreigners and international families here.

``Korea is the world's 13th largest economy with some $20,000 in per capita income, but ranks only 33rd in the global brand index. This is a big problem,'' President Lee Myung-bak said during a meeting with Euh and other council members at Cheong Wa Dae on March 17.

Korea's efforts to improve its image overseas has gained a lot of attention at home and abroad, but many experts still doubt whether its policies will be successful.

``Korea needs to benchmark its international image properly, and this means a close and rigorous analysis of the Nation Brands Index results with respect to Korea's competitors, its specific overseas audiences, and in individual areas such as culture, tourism, products, education, sport, people, governance or the environment, all of which have yet to take place,'' said Simon Anholt, who publishes the index.

Professor Frank said Korea needs to increase the number of language and research fellowships, institutions like the Korea Foundation or the Academy for Korean Studies, language programs, professorships, conferences and lectures overseas to increase its visibility.

Frank said what makes Japan and China so attractive in the eyes of the popular masses in Europe is not only themselves, but to a large degree their association with ``East Asia.''

``Korea would be well advised to focus some of its own efforts into this direction. The validity of the term East Asia is secondary. If we look at 'Malaysia, truly Asia,' we see how this country is enormously successful in its image campaign while operating on a term that is even fuzzier,'' Frank said.

``East Asia is a much more powerful brand than China or Japan,'' he said.

Many European universities have created programs on East Asia, in addition to the existing ones that focus exclusively on China, Japan and Korea. However, the dominance of China and Japan is reflected in these new programs. They often are light-versions of Chinese and Japanese studies; the Korea content is relatively small, if it exists at all, the professor said.

As of February 2009, there were 757 students in Chinese studies and 786 students in Japanese studies, but only 66 in Korean studies at the University of Vienna. In other words, of the 72,000 students at this university, over 1,600 students are interested in East Asia, but only 4 percent of this group actually learns about Korea.

``This turnout is unsatisfactory, but not unusual,'' Frank said. ``Interviews have shown that the potential interest in Korea among students is high, but the actual interest transformed into participation in courses and programs is low.''

jj@koreatimes.co.kr