Indian, Latvian envoys win Korea CQ Award

Choi Jung-wha, second from left, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute, stands with Korea CQ awardees at Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel on Dec. 7. From left, Bang Eu-gene, country head director of DBS Bank Korea; Latvian Ambassador to Seoul Peteris Vaivars and Erwan Vilfeu, CEO of Nestle Korea. / Courtesy of CICI

By Park Si-soo

Two foreign envoys here and two business executives won Korea CQ awards for their contribution to promoting South Korea overseas, said the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), a Seoul-based NGO.

Korea CQ is the name of a forum CICI launched in 2006 to promote Korean culture and business to foreign opinion leaders here. CICI hosts 10 forums a year.

Indian Ambassador to Seoul Vikram Doraiswami won the CQ Communication Award, while the CQ Cooperation Award went to Latvian Ambassador to Seoul Peteris Vaivars.

Erwan Vilfeu, CEO of Nestle Korea, received the CQ Hand-in-Hand Award. The CQ Friendship Award went to Bang Eu-gene, country head director of DBS Bank Korea

The award ceremony was held at Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel in the evening of Dec. 7, featuring quiz and other recreational events. Sixty people were invited to the event, including New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Clare Fearnley, Singapore Ambassador to Seoul Yip Wei Kiat, Turkey’s Ambassador to Seoul Arslan Hakan Okcal and Chevron Korea Country Chairman Bill Miner.

The CICI was founded in 2003 by Prof. Choi Jung-wha at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. It has hosted various cultural events, bringing together opinion leaders living 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.