CICI to hold annual image awards
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Korea’s cosmetics firm AmorePacific, led by CEO Suh Kyung-bae, center, has been chosen as the recipient of the Stepping Stone Award, the highest prize of the CICI Korea 2015 awards ceremony. Chinese actress Tang Wei, left, will receive the Korea Image Stepping Stone Bridge Award and teenage skater Shim Suk-hee will receive the Korea Image Budding Youth Award. The awards ceremony will be held at the Coex Intercontinental Seoul hotel in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of CICI
AmorePacific, Tang Wei, Shim Suk-hee recognized for promoting Korea’s global image
By Baek Byung-yeul
An awards ceremony to recognize people and organizations that made big contributions to promote Korea’s image overseas last year will take place Monday.
The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), headed by Prof. Choi Jung-hwa, will hold “CICI Korea 2015” awards ceremony at the Coex Intercontinental Seoul hotel in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul starting from 5:45 p.m.
AmorePacific, Korea’s leading cosmetics firm, will receive the awards’ highest prize “Stepping Stone Award.”
Led by CEO Suh Kyung-bae, the cosmetics company has become an icon of innovation with a slew of its cosmetics products, according to CICI.
The cosmetics brand, best known for its popular lines of Sulwhasoo, Iope, Hera and Etude, was founded in 1954. Thanks to the popularity of Korean drama, music and film in the world, the demand for Korean cosmetics has increased worldwide in recent years.
Traditional Korean musical instruments band Dulsori will perform during the CICI Korea 2015 awards ceremony at the Coex Intercontinental Seoul hotel in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of CICI
Previous prize awardees of the Stepping Stone Award include Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy smartphone (2014), rap singer Psy (2013), PyeongChang Winter Olympics Organizing Committee (2012), Incheon International Airport (2011), Busan International Film Awards (2010), singer Rain, conductor Chung Myung-whun, Cheonggye Stream and Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general.
Chinese actress Tang Wei has been chosen as the recipient of the Korea Image Stepping Stone Bridge Award for conveying Korean culture to the world.
The 35-year-old actress, who has become known to Korean audiences through starring in the film “Late Autumn” in 2010, rose to international stardom after appearing at acclaimed director Ang Lee’s 2007 film “Lust, Caution.”
Teenage short-track sensation Shim Suk-hee will receive Korea Image Budding Youth Award. The 17-year-old athlete brought home one gold, one silver and a bronze from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
The awards ceremony is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korean Culture and Information Service.
During the awards ceremony, traditional Korean musical instruments band Dulsori and members from French musical “Notre Dame de Paris” will perform. Established in 1984, the band Dulsori (literally means heartbeat of the land) has been performed actively throughout the world.
After the awards ceremony, the CICI will release its global opinion survey on Korea’s image.
The survey, conducted last December, targeted on foreigners residing in Korea and the survey questions asked about things to be improved to attract more travelers from overseas; best places to visit in Korea besides Seoul; reasons of visiting Korea again; and things to be improved to hold more successful international meetings.
The CICI has invited Suh; Tang; Shim; former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo; Kim Dong-ho, chairman of the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment; former weightlifter Jang Mi-ran; Jazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun; actors Ahn Sung-ki and Song Seung-whan; U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert; French Ambassador Jerome Pasquier; Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho; Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) CEO Kwon Seon-joo; Doosan Corportation Vice Chairman and CEO James Bemowski; Renault Samsung Motors CEO Francois Provost; and KBS Chairman Lee In-ho. Ambassadors from 50 counties in Korea are also expected to attend.
Founded in 2003, the CICI has hosted various cultural events bringing together opinion readers residing here to share their cultural experiences in Korea. It has recognized individuals, groups and others that have contributed to enhancing the image of Korea around the world since 2005.