By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK) and Seoul Grand Park signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to attract more foreign expatriates and tourists to the park, Tuesday.
The MOU ``for strengthening cooperation and promotion of Seoul Grand Park to the foreign community’’ was signed by EUCCK secretary general Jean-Jacques Grauhar and Seoul Grand Park director Lee Won-hyo, in a ceremony at the Seoul Zoo, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony took on a light-hearted atmosphere, as an orangutan playfully performed in front of the crowd.
The EUCCK will be involved in various corporate social responsibility activities to promote Seoul Grand Park, which is comprised of Seoul Zoo, Seoul Land and the National Museum of Contemporary Art.
Top business leaders were also appointed as honorary ambassadors to promote Seoul Grand Park, during the ceremony. These include EUCCK’s Grauhar, Europe-Korea Foundation president Jee Dong-hoon, Ambassador of Republic of Serbia Slobodan Marinkovic, Standard Chartered First Bank President and CEO Richard Hill, HSBC Korea President and CEO Matthew J. Deakin and Seoul Tourism Organization senior director Maureen O’Crowley.
As honorary ambassadors, they will support the efforts of Seoul Grand Park. They will also have an opportunity to sponsor endangered animals, which are currently in the Seoul Zoo, as part of their corporate social responsibility activities.
With the support of the EUCCK and the honorary ambassadors, Seoul Grand Park hopes to become one of the top tourist attractions in Korea.
The EUCCK has over 900 members from the 27 EU member states, and is one of the biggest chambers in Korea.
Seoul Zoo is considered the 10th largest zoo in the world, with a collection of over 3,400 individual animals belonging to 360 species from nearly every part of the globe.
Seoul Land is Korea’s first amusement park and offers exciting rides, games and flower gardens to be enjoyed by people of all ages. The state-run National Museum of Contemporary Art holds various fine art exhibitions and cultural events throughout the year.