By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
First lady Kim Yun-ok named Kim Yu-na, the winner of the 2009 World Figure Skating Championship, as ambassador for the 2010-2012 Visit Korea Year, Wednesday.
The first lady currently serves as an honorary chairwoman of the Visit Korea Year Committee, aimed at positioning the country as an attractive tourist destination under the three-year campaign.
During a ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae, Kim said that the Korean figure skating star will help boost the brand value of Korean tourism by fulfilling the representative role for her home country, a Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said.
``Kim can give the most effective pitch by demonstrating a great performance at the Vancouver Winter Olympics next February,'' she said.
The Visit Korea Year campaign, part of programs to upgrade the nation's brand value, is aimed at attracting 10 million foreigners and earning $10 billion in tourism income.