Businesses Use First Astronaut in Marketing
By Yoon Ja-young
Staff Reporter
Businesses are quickly adopting Korea's first astronaut in their marketing strategy, as Yi So-yeon leaves for her trip into space today.
Department stores didn't miss the historic event. Lotte Department Store is holding a "Lotte space world'' event, exhibiting mock-ups of Soyuz space shuttle, launch vehicles and planets. Space food taken by Yi is also exhibited. The department store said it will choose a couple to travel to Las Vegas, where they will experience zero gravity at the set where the movie ``Apollo 13'' was filmed. It also presents customers with Aviator, a watch used by astronauts.
Hyundai Department Store said it will present customers with astronaut food, including Korean traditional food such as kimchi and red pepper paste.
Retail chain stores are promoting astronomical telescopes, science books and toys related to space, expecting to boost sales thanks to the astronaut boom.
Some financial businesses are joining in. Hanwha Securities, which launched a fund investing in Kazakhstan, is holding an event to commemorate Korea's first astronaut. As the Soyuz rocket will be launched at Cosmodrome Baikonur in Kazakhstan, some subscribers to the fund will be presented with tour packages to Kazakhstan and gift vouchers, among other items.
Korea would be the 37th country in the world to have an astronaut sent into space. It is somewhat late given the size of its economy, but the event is expected to produce huge economic benefits.
The government expects the event to encourage gifted teenagers to study science and technology and encourage people take an interest in science. The trip could mark a turning point to set up a basis for Korea to make a leap forward in the space industry, in which Korea hasn't made significant progress yet.
Heo Hee-young, a professor at Korea Aerospace University, estimated the first astronaut to bring about 478 billion won in economic benefit. It is 18 times more than the 26 billion won budget of the project.