"We must transform our country from a place people want to visit once to a must-visit destination, and from a place people visit once to a place they want to return to again," said Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, during the 53rd Tourism Day ceremony held at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul.
On this occasion, Minister Choi expressed gratitude to those in the tourism sector for their contributions to the record-breaking success of K-tourism, stating, "The government will not spare investment and support for the tourism industry to create an irreplaceable K-tourism for the future of South Korea."
The ceremony, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Association, focused on the theme of "Tourism that Revitalizes Regions, Tourism that Grows South Korea." During the event, 23 individuals were honored for their contributions to the development of the tourism industry, receiving medals, industrial decorations, and commendations from the President and the Prime Minister.
The Industrial Medal was awarded to Kim Nam-cheol, Vice President and General Manager of Hilton Gyeongju. With over 50 years in the hotel industry since 1975, Kim has managed protocol for national events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and has hired 529 local youths while training 975 talents in the hotel sector.
The National Order of Merit, Camellia Medal, was awarded to Kim Ok-hee, the head monk of Jinkwansa Temple, recognized for her efforts in popularizing temple cuisine and promoting food tourism while supporting national events like APEC and raising awareness of Korean traditional food culture.
Kim Chun-chu, CEO of KIMS M&T, received the Steel Tower Industrial Medal for operating an inbound travel agency since 1991, attracting over 400,000 foreign tourists and generating $100 million in foreign currency.
Jeong Hyeong-pil, head of KINTEX, received the Stone Tower Industrial Medal for contributing to the international expansion of South Korea's MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) industry by securing the operation rights for the Indian state-owned exhibition center, Yashobhoomi, and attracting international events.
Additionally, Park Sang-won, CEO of For You Communications, and Lee Sang-yoon, director of Oedo Botania, received industrial decorations. Six individuals received commendations from the President, while 11 received commendations from the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also recognized 80 workers in the tourism sector with ministerial commendations.
Five tourism businesses that contributed to foreign currency earnings were awarded the Tourism Promotion Tower and the Tourism Promotion Encouragement Tower.
Tourism Day was designated to commemorate the adoption of the World Tourism Organization Charter on September 27, 1970, and the government awards are presented annually to individuals and companies that contribute to the development of the tourism industry.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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