 Samuel Koo, president and CEO of Seoul Tourism Organization, speaks to The Korea Times on Aug. 17. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Among globetrotters that make their way to Asia, anime buffs make pilgrimages to Tokyo while ``wuxia’’ fans seek a taste of authenticity in Beijing _ and those addicted to the ‘round-the-clock ``bulgogi’’ eateries in Koreatown can easily find a haven in Seoul.
In addition to its eclectic array of culinary delights, the South Korean capital finds a prime time in November to expose all its hidden jewels. Leaders of the world’s top 20 economies are due to gather to discuss the global financial market during the G20 Summit on Nov. 21 and 22, and up to 20,000 related personnel and media people are expected to visit.
“We want to put the word out there how ready and forthcoming we will be and that (these visitors) are most welcome to stick around and explore the depth and breadth of what Seoul has to offer,” Samuel Koo, president & CEO of Seoul Tourism Organization, told The Korea Times in a recent interview in his Myeong-dong office.
``Just take cuisine for example. Reporters will have to dine their way through Seoul, and they can easily discover the different options out there _ from the rustic, home-style Korean dishes and organic temple food to the diverse array of Western and other international cuisine available,’’ he said.
``We’re probably the first country taking the G20 Summit in such a serious manner,’’ Koo continued. Korea may be the first non-G7 member country as well as the first non-Anglophone region to chair the event. But save for Singapore, no other Asian city organizes more international conventions than Seoul, said the media expert.
Yet the G20 summit itself will be an intense two-day business meeting _ unlike other international events held in Korea such as the 2005 APEC Summit where global leaders were seen sporting “hanbok” (Korea traditional costume) and sipping “makgeolli” (Korean rice wine), participants will have little time to savor the local culture. The colorful and dynamic sceneries of Seoul will nevertheless be in the global media spotlight.
“It’s not necessarily the heads of state and entourage but rather the thousands of reporters and media people we want to appeal to,” said the former journalist who headed Arirang TV before assuming his current position.
“Seoul’s biggest selling point is that it is a complete city,” he said, where people can tune into the harmonious dichotomy of traditional heritage sites and state-of-the-art modern fare.
“People choose Seoul not because we offer the cheapest hotels _ because in fact we don’t _ but due to a combination of things. People consider questions such as: Is it exciting culturally? Is there great shopping? Is it eco-friendly? Is the transportation efficient?” he said with a ring of confidence in his voice.
“Seoul has become a global metropolitan city, and it’s not a monocultural one. Even in the geographical sense it has majestic mountains, streams, rivers. It’s a hotspot for fashion, IT, antiquity, medical tourism and the arts and culture. There are palaces, galleries and museums everywhere, top-tier concerts and operas all year round and beautiful festivals like the lantern lighting festival _ and a safe, convenient public transportation system is available to take people to all these events. And everywhere you go you can feel that there’s a design element,” he said, citing how the Incheon International Airport was chosen as the Best Airport in the World for the fifth year according to IATA and ACI.
``G20 will be a chance for Seoul to expose herself to the world,’’ he said.
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