Son Heung-min to promote Korean tourism

Soccer player Son Heung-min, right, poses with Korea Tourism Organization CEO Ahn Young-bae in Seoul, Tuesday, during a ceremony to appoint him as an honorary ambassador to promote Korean tourism. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

By Bahk Eun-ji

Soccer player Son Heung-min has become an honorary ambassador to promote Korean tourism to the world, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said, Tuesday.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the KTO appointed the internationally renowned Tottenham Hotspur striker as a cultural ambassador in the hope that his image will appeal to potential visitors to Korea.

“We expect many positive effects from Son's appointment. In particular, we believe this will raise awareness of Korean tourism in the global market especially in European countries, beyond the countries where many people have already had high interest in Korea due to pop culture,” a KTO official said.

Son will appear in three video ads and seven poster images. Under the theme of “This is my Korea, what's yours?” the ads will link Son's skills on the field with the charms of Korea's tourist attractions.

The KTO's campaign materials will be released through online platforms such as YouTube and Facebook in September, and will be also be posted on Son's personal social media. Currently, Son has 4.8 million Instagram followers and 4.7 million Facebook followers.