Foreigners awarded for promoting Korea

The Indonesia Ambassador John Prasetio, left, and his spouse Alexandra Prasetio, right, pose with Corea Image Communication Institute President Choi Jung-wha during the Korea Culture Quotient (CQ) alumni meeting and 19th graduation ceremony, at the Indonesian ambassador’s residence in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of CICI

By Kim Jae-heun

The Country Chairman of Chevron Korea Bill Miner and his wife Lissa were presented with the Grand Award for actively participating in various events to learn and promote Korean culture by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), Tuesday.

At the Korea Culture Quotient (CQ) alumni meeting and 19th graduation ceremony hosted by CICI at the residence of Indonesia Ambassador in Yeouido, Seoul, Austrian Ambassador to Korea Elisabeth Bertagnoli received the Korea CQ Culture Award and Turkish Ambassador to Korea Arslan Hakan Okcal won the Cooperation Award.

The CICI event offered an opportunity to experience Indonesian dishes, share news of its members and enjoy a talent show. The President of CICI Choi Jung-wha also bid farewell to Joris Dierckx, chief country officer of BNP Paribas Seoul, and his wife Beatrice.

After the award ceremony, Korea CQ members had karaoke time where members sang the Korean folk song “Arirang” together.

Grand Award winners Bill and Lissa Miner prepared the lyrics and shared them with Bertagnoli and Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian ambassador to Korea, who sang along on stage with several other ambassadors to Korea.

“We chose Arirang to sing, because it is such a wonderful song,” Lissa Miner said.

Korea CQ events brings together more than 60 diplomats in Korea, CEOs and other cultural leaders to exchange opinions and hold cultural experiences to understand Korean culture and share ideas to promote the culture.