International gathering showcases finalists with creative takes on Korean tradition
The Corea Image Communication Institute will hold its 16th annual Culture Communication Forum on Thursday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, wrapping up a monthslong global contest centered on "sustainable K-style."
The event will bring together senior diplomatic and business leaders for a ceremony recognizing the competition's finalists and winners. KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung will deliver opening remarks, with congratulatory messages from Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto and Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima. EU Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez will join around 10 other ambassadors in attendance.
Corporate attendees include Seo Jung-ho, chair of the Ambassador Hotel Group; Cho Jung-il, chair of The Hanok Heritage; and Sean Blakeley, chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea and Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea. Franz Hotten, president of Pernod Ricard Korea, will also attend alongside some 60 guests.
The forum's centerpiece will be a live vote to determine the winners among 12 finalists, selected from entries submitted between March 20 and May 30. Participants submitted ideas for reimagining Korean cultural traditions through a sustainability lens, exploring how K-style can evolve for future generations across music, cuisine, film and fashion. Finalists will present their entries, ranging from video clips to spoken presentations in Korean, during Thursday's event.
The video competition features long- and short-form categories, each with four finalists. The grand prize winner in the long-form category will receive a prize package worth 3 million won (around $2,213), including 1 million won in cash. The short-form winner will receive a 2 million won package, with 700,000 won in cash.
For the Korean speech segment, contestants from the United States, Spain, China, France and Egypt will compete for the grand prize. Each will deliver a three-minute speech on sustainable K-style, with the winners determined by real-time audience voting. The top prize is valued at 3 million won, including 1.5 million won in cash.
The forum begins with registration at 4:40 p.m., followed by the main program at 5 p.m. A special pansori performance by French artist Mapo Lor will round out the ceremony.
Founded in 2003 and officially registered with the Foreign Ministry, CICI promotes Korea’s global image through cultural exchange. Since 2010, its annual CCF has served as a global platform for dialogue among cultural and diplomatic leaders.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com
