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Yonsei University
Well into the realization of a fully-developed South Korean society, democracy and economy, the country's brand image continues to lag behind these and other related indicators. One of the four original Asian Tigers that experienced rapid modernization and economic development in the wake of Japan's post-World War II recovery and rise, South Korean development has been traditionally based on an export-led model, much of which the country retains today even as it transitions into a mature, service-driven economy. In recent years, the country has also become a major exporter of "cultural" products such as the movies, television and music collectively known as "hallyu", or the Korean Wave. Yet despite all this, South Korea still maintains a relatively low level of name recognition.
Why such a discrepancy? The primary issue is that there are two "Koreas" in international media-one, to put it simply, good, and the other, bad. This dual usage and identification often confuses foreigners and thus the name "Korea" is found to have baggage in terms of word-association. In fact, a majority of foreigners, when polled, first think of "divided" when they hear the name "Korea;" the second most common association for "Korea" is "war", as in the 1950-53 conflict between the two nations. Neither of these associations is good for a country looking to boost tourism nor are they worth reinforcing. In terms of branding Korea it is important to heed this hurdle of word-association. Hence, the government would be well-served by centering or balancing its branding efforts not just on the nation ― but by emphasizing the capital, Seoul.
Further proof of this author's analysis can be found by re-examining the experiences of the Four Tigers-particularly the city-states of Hong Kong and Singapore. These city-states mark Korea's ultimate end-goal: small, highly competitive, and fully integrated, service-driven economies. Further, while Singapore and Hong Kong are city-states with limited space, it is natural that there is only one "center" for their respective territories. In contrast, the "centers" of other well-branded Asian destinations are spread out over a number of cities. In China, Beijing acts as the nation's political center whereas Shanghai is its economic center. In Japan, many say that Kyoto is the cultural center of Japan while Tokyo dominates politics and economics. South Korea could easily balance its branding efforts between nation and capital because Seoul operates in much the same capacity as a city-state; it is the country's political, cultural, social, diplomatic and economic center. No doubt, Seoul will be nearly every tourist's port of entry into South Korea and thus virtually all will experience the city.
Seoul is a city which offers the trappings and experiences of an entire country, all bundled into one. In fact, the small geographic size of South Korean territory compliments the ease with which such marketing efforts could be done and allow for a broader market to be reached ― in terms of short get-a-ways, long layovers between other countries, etc. With Seoul as the center, the city could be advertised with a "two-hour" campaign. For example: depending on how one travels ― all on Korea's world class infrastructure ― beaches, islands, snow skiing, hot springs, three foreign capitals and much more can be reached within two hours of travel or less.
The current pitch for Seoul City plays on this same positive association of the name but in too overt a fashion. No doubt the correct balance has yet to be struck and as the life cycle of the current branding effort is phased out, I believe this opportunity should continue to be mined. In terms of an image for South Korea it is unfortunate that much of what is, or will be, defining of the country is currently under rehabilitation or reconstruction ― Seungnaemun, Gwanghamun, Sejongno and many other beautification efforts are currently underway, marring, in the short-term, the city's more marketable sites and image opportunities. Therefore, I propose South Korean people. It is imperative that any nation's branding effort be a real representation of what visitors will find upon arrival ― one of the most easily accessible and valuable possessions of the Korean nation is its friendly and passionate citizens. One image popularly used in domestic marketing campaigns of Korean companies is the "heart" shape made by a person holding their arms above their heads, with hands curved down creating the image of a heart. This alone may act as an appropriate image of the nation and truly represent what a visitor may find upon arrival. Indeed, all things considered, it should be relatively easy to convince people to visit Korea: Heart and Seoul.
