The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy kicked off the English version of its social media service on Monday in a move reflecting its pledges to actively promote the government’s trade and economic policies.

By using global social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, the ministry plans to offer frequent updates on the nation’s economic trends and policies to those at both home and abroad, according to officials.

“Welcome! I hope our new English social network service pages help foreign investors and companies find more great opportunities in the dynamic and creative South Korean economy,” said Minister Yoon Sang-jick, who uploaded the ministry’s first official post.

Government organizations have been increasingly looking for new and more accessible channels of dialogue with the public as more people are choosing to receive information online, particularly through social network services that they frequently access.

Social media users may “like” the Trade Ministry’s Facebook page, follow its Twitter account or visit its Flickr page to receive information and updates on a regular basis, ministry officials said.

The web addresses for the ministry’s SNS services are as follows: www.facebook.com/MOTIEKoreaEng for Facebook, www.twitter.com/MOTIEKoreaEng for Twitter, and www.flickr.com/photos/MOTIEKoreaEng for Flicker.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)