CICI premiered new promotional song

German Ambassador Hans-Ulrich Seidt, right, welcomes guests at his residence, who gathered there to listen to a new Korean promotional song "Four Seasons of Love", released Tuesday./ Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Advertisement

By Kim Se-jeong

The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), Tuesday, rolled out a new promotional song in its drive to elevate the image of Korea.

Titled "Four Seasons of Love", the song was premiered at the Germany Ambassador Hans-Ulrich Seidt's Seoul residence in the presence of an international audience.

"We've concluded that singing is an effective method to get the name of Korea out to the global audience", Choi Jung-wha, president of CICI, a non-profit organization, told The Korea Times as to why she initiated the new song project.

Nearly 70 people were invited to listen to the song, including foreign diplomats posted in Korea, and CEOs of international corporations.

The event was sprinkled with an entertaining singing contest where seven non-professional singers competed in singing the new song.

The grand prize went to Kim Sheena, president of Daehung. Christophe Piganiol, president of Zeullig Pharma Korea and his partner Susan Ling, and Joseph Young, head of the Bureau Veritas Korea, won second prize. The host Seidt and his wife Marita won "the most popular" prize.

Other competitors were Singaporean Ambassador to Korea Peter Tan and Executive Vice President of Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation Kim Yong-yeon.

Composed by the architect musician Yang Jin-seok, the song is now available both in English and Korean. It was also recorded on popera singer Woo Jun-hoon's new album. CICI will post the song on its website and on Youtube.

Founded in 2003, CICI has brought together a group of experts to brainstorm innovative methods to promote Korea to the international audience.

Among its noteworthy achievements was Culture 20 last September. Held two months before the G20 Summit, Culture 20 invited international figures from G20 member countries for a Korean educational program in Seoul. In November 2004, it also financed a promotional film, "Korea's IT" as a springboard for a new image for the country.