CICI announces 2024 Korea Image Awards recipients

Korean luxury car brand Genesis is the Korean Image Stepping Stone Award winner of the 2024 Korea Image Awards, hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI). Courtesy of CICI

Maro Botta / Courtesy of Flavia Leuenber

The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) announced the winners of the 2024 Korea Image Awards, Monday. This year's event, marking the 20th anniversary of the awards, honors both local and international individuals and entities that have played a significant role in boosting Korea's reputation globally.

The 2024 awards reflect the many ways Korea is gaining recognition worldwide. From automotive innovation and architectural marvels to achievements in music genres such as "popera" (pop opera) and “pansori” (traditional Korean narrative music), each awardee has contributed to elevating Korea's global stature.

The Korean Image Stepping Stone Award was bestowed upon Genesis, the Korean luxury car brand known for integrating Korean cultural identity aspects such as the beauty of space into its brand. The brand achieved over 1 million cumulative global sales as of August 2023, highlighting its international success.

Lim Hyung-joo

Swiss architect Mario Botta, often dubbed as the "architect of the soul," received the Stepping Stone Bridge Award, which recognizes a foreign national who has served as a bridge between Korea and the rest of the world. His notable works in Korea, including the Leeum Museum of Art, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Namyang, Kyobo Gangnam Tower and Phoenix Jeju Club House Agora, exemplify a harmonious blend of Korean aesthetics with global architectural styles.

The Capstone Award celebrates the achievements of Lim Hyung-joo, a trailblazer in the popera genre in Korea. Commemorating his 25th anniversary in Korea and 20th on the global stage, Lim has been instrumental in popularizing this unique blend of classical opera and popular music as well as nurturing future talents, marking a significant contribution to Korea's cultural landscape.

Laure Mafo, a Cameroonian-born French artist, is the recipient of the Flowerstone Award for her dedication to pansori. Mafo came to Korea from France to learn pansori and perform it both in Korean and French, contributing to Korea's cultural diplomacy and bringing this unique art form to a larger audience.

Laure Mafo

The Korea Image Awards have a history of honoring those who have greatly helped improve Korea's image worldwide. Notable past winners include actor Lee Jung-jae, "Squid Game" director Hwang Dong-hyuk, skater Kim Yuna as well as organizations such as Netflix, YouTube and Samsung Electronics.

CICI Korea, led by Choi Jung-hwa, has been organizing this event for 20 years, demonstrating Korea's commitment to celebrating contributions to its global image and cultural exchanges. It highlights the ongoing interactions between Korea and the world, bridging cultural differences and creating new connections.

The award ceremony will be held at the InterContinental Seoul COEX in southern Seoul's Gangnam District, Jan. 10.