Korea Image Awards go to French politician, Russian 'elf'

French politician Joachim Son-Forget, center, speaks during a press conference held Tuesday at COEX Intercontinental Seoul, ahead of the Korea Image Awards ceremony organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI). From left are President Sohn Kyung-shik of CJ Group, Son-Forget and Russian social media influencer Angelina Danilova. The three are recipients of this year's Korea Image Awards. / Courtesy of CICI

By Yun Suh-young

Conglomerate CJ Group, French politician Joachim Son-Forget and Russian social media star Angelina Danilova were recipients of this year's annual Korea Image Awards given by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) which aims to promote Korean culture overseas.

The Korea Image Stepping Stone Award went to CJ Group for its “ceaseless efforts to spread Korean food, content and culture, and localize them in order to help global citizens experience and enjoy the essence of Korean culture through their daily lives,” CICI said in a statement prior to the award ceremony held at the COEX Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday.

In receiving the prize, CJ Group President Sohn Kyung-shik said, “We hope to build hallyu not as a temporary trend but as a proud culture that has deep roots into the lives of global citizens.”

The Korea Image Stepping Stone Bridge Award went to Joachim Son-Forget, a French politician and member of the French National Assembly as well as president of the France-Korea Friendship Association.

“Joachim Son-Forget was the first Korean-Frenchman to become a member of the French assembly and by being appointed president of the France-Korea Friendship Association he has attracted much attention to Korea globally. He also acted as a bridge between Korea and the world through exchanges in information technology, medicine, science, culture and arts, and businesses,” CICI said in its statement.

Joachim Son-Forget is a radiologist and cognitive scientist who was born in Korea but adopted by a French family and grew up there.

At the press conference Tuesday, Son-Forget said he felt deeply connected to Korea because he was “born here and married a Korean which means I married the country.” His last name includes his wife's surname, Son.

The third award, Korea Image Flower Stone Award, went to Russian social media influencer Angelina Danilova, known as the “Russian elf” for her doll-like appearance.

"Angelina Danilova introduced various content about Korea globally through her social media platform as a young Russian artist living in Korea. She contributed to promoting Korean culture and the country to young people across the globe who will lead the future,” CICI announced.

In receiving the award, Danilova said she was just “sharing my love of Korean culture.”

“It had always been my dream to come to Asia. I think I inspired a lot of people to work on their dream and visit Korea and see the beautiful parts of this country,” she said.