On December 30, Rep. Kim Seung-soo of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee and the Korea National Brand Promotion Institute hosted the '9th National Brand Conference 2024' at the National Assembly conference hall.

This year's National Brand Conference, now in its ninth year, is hosted by the Korean National Brand Promotion Institute and recognizes the achievements of businesses, institutions, and individuals who have illuminated the nation’s brand and image on the international stage. Awards were given in the fields of public service, business, sports, and arts.

The first part of the event began with a welcoming speech by Rep. Kim Seung-soo, followed by congratulatory remarks from Jo Dong-seong, Chairman of the Korea Industrial Policy Institute. Unfortunately, Deputy Minister Jang Mi-ran of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism was unable to attend due to an emergency meeting regarding the recent airline accident.

At this conference’s first part, distinguished individuals who contributed to enhancing South Korea’s national brand value were awarded the “National Brand Awards.”

The honorary award in the public sector went to Jo Wan-kyu, Chair of the International Vaccine Institute, who has developed and hosted efforts to combat diseases affecting children in developing countries, in the Humanitarianism category; Lee Hee-beom, Chairman of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the successful hosting of the Winter Olympics, in the Peace and Harmony category; and Um Hong-gil, the mountaineer who became the first in history to summit all 16 peaks over 8,000 meters, in the Humanitarian Innovation category.

In the corporate sector, the award went to Koo Ja-kwan, CEO of Samgu I&C, leading K-Management through a service-oriented approach, and Samyang Foods, which has made waves globally with its spicy chicken noodle product. In the sports category, archery champion Kim Woo-jin, a triple gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, and Choi Deung-kyu, Chairman of Daebo Group, known for successfully hosting several international golf tournaments, were honored. In the arts category, Moon Hoon-sook, who developed the Universal Ballet into a world-renowned company over the last 40 years, and singer Jang Min-ho, who is at the forefront of globalizing Korean trot music, received awards.

Jo Dong-seong, Chairman of the Korea Industrial Policy Institute, stated, "Despite the challenging national conditions, we remain among the top countries in terms of brand value."

The second part of the event featured a presentation by Jo Dong-seong on the '2024 National Brand Value Evaluation' and a special lecture by Um Hong-gil. The national brand value evaluation is a global study conducted for 22 years since 2003, where over 1,800 participants from 62 countries evaluate the brand power of major countries and translate that power into monetary value.

In last year’s national brand power rankings, South Korea maintained its position in fourth place following the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. France, which ranked sixth last year, moved up to fifth place this year, overtaking Japan, which held the fifth position last year, thanks to hosting the Paris Olympics. Following the impacts of the Ukraine war, Russia ranked 39th among 39 countries in last year's brand power rankings but improved to 38th this year.

A representative from the Korea National Brand Promotion Institute noted, "This conference spotlighted the global stature associated with the name South Korea and suggested directions for enhancing that value in the future," adding, "We will seek innovative ways to advance the national brand through the achievements of the awardees who have elevated South Korea's standing in various fields."

This event, which celebrated the honorees who contributed to enhancing the national brand status of South Korea and sought to explore concrete strategies, is being recognized as a significant turning point in elevating the country’s international stature.

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