An unexpected request from the Korea Times

[David Kilburn]

from 부서 <edi...@koreatimes.co.kr>
to daki...@gmail.com
date Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 1:00 PM
subject Korea Times message

hide details 1:00 PM (2 minutes ago)


Reply



Dear Hanhok lover Kilburn;


On the occasion of the 58th anniversary of The Korea Times, which
falls on Nov.1, Korea Times will start a series of articles on
Branding Korea, which is the cornerstone project of the Lee Myung-bak
administration.
Our purpose is to give insights to the government and companies, who
are at a loss with what to do in upgrading branding and image.
I want to invite you as the contributor to the series.

I want you to contribute an article about `` what is distinct about
Korea, what it needs to preserve and promote '' as part of the steps
to upgrade image and brand of Korea herself.'
I suggest your contribute 1200-1500 words. If possible sepate article
(300-400 words--suggestions for upgrading Korea). Index, table and
other illustration suggestions are welcome.
We will pay you an honorarium of $200. The sooner the better. We want
your article to be the first in our series but subject to change
depending on the situation.
Before writing an article, please highlight your counterprposals and
gists so that we can publish articles we agreed.
For your information, it is a one-page color section under the title
of Branding Korea

Thanks in advance
ps
if you have any suggestions on Branding Korea series and possible
contributors, we welcome
cslee
Korea Times Executive Managing Editor
When You send an article, your passport-size color photo, and banking
information is necessary

[Elise Youn]

Dear David,

How bizarre! And yet how well does this request from KT fit into the
government's strategy of "branding Korea"--through culture, hanok,
"han-style," the Cheonggyecheon, cultural districts, etc. I am in the
midst of writing a proposal to further study the tensions this
strategy creates, so I find this request from the KT extremely
interesting.

I attended the hanok exhibition last week when it was up in LA. I'm
not surprised that no one was there (or has googled "hanok" as you
mentioned), because I don't think the exhibition was publicized much
beyond the Korean/Korean-American community, and most of these people
probably know a fair amount about hanok already. I think it was a
first attempt (and there will be others) of the Korean government
trying to market hanok abroad as encapsulated Korean identity, as a
"han-style" product. The exhibition also intended to garner support
and investment from Koreans living abroad, many of whom left Korea
when hanok were still a common form of housing. I think it capitalizes
on the nostalgia and pride some folks in the immigrant community have
concerning the old way of life and Korean cultural identity in
general.

What was most interesting to me was to see how important scholars and
hanok supporters such as Professor Jeon and my uncle Yun (both
organizers of the exhibition) have been active in promoting both
historical and modern hanok abroad. Both are involved in running and
advising the National Trust of Korea, which is trying to establish
itself as the country's pre-eminent National Trust for historic
preservation. Having a hanok exhibition in the US helps to gather
support for the Trust and its work preserving existing hanok in Korea.
Yet there is an obvious contradiction in regards to what kind of hanok
have been chosen for the exhibition. Why were modern, reconstructed
hanok such as Gahoe-dong 31-95 and 31-96 featured alongside preserved
historic hanok such as the Yun Posun Residence? And why was a hanok in
Paris featured? The exhibition has much to do with how Koreans view
themselves, what values they find important, and what image of
themselves Koreans wish to present abroad. This image is not one of
Korea entrenched in the past while meticulously preserving hanok, but
rather a more cosmopolitan and complex view of Korea--Koreans blending
modern lifestyles with traditional building forms, capitalistic
economic goals with Buddhist/Neo-Confucian philosophical values,
"environmentally sensitive" design with consumer goods, trendy
international lifestyles with old-fashioned Korean values. In a sense
it's a thoroughly contradictory exhibition about a place and group of
people struggling to figure out who they are with who they want to be.
These contradictions are completely logical, in a way, given the speed
and scope of urbanization there over the past forty years, and the
previous periods of war and colonial occupation. But it's also hard to
present the case for hanok preservation in the face of such complex
struggles over identity and values.

I would really like to write a review of the show actually. Sol and
Pablo, I never heard back from you about your journal, but are you
still planning to produce it? If so, we could discuss the possibility
of me writing this review for it.

Elise

On Oct 1, 9:07 pm, David Kilburn <dakilb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> from 부서 <edi...@koreatimes.co.kr>
> to dakilb...@gmail.com

[David Kilburn]

Hello everyone, this is the outline I sent to the Korea Times
following their request last week. - David

Dear Mr. Lee,

Here is a brief outline of the article I propose to write following
your request last week.
1. Korea’s distinctive culture and heritage
2. Challenges of the modern world
3. Countries as brands. Examples.
4. How and why country brands differ from product brands
5. The multi-dimensional nature of brands
6. Brands exist in the minds of their “consumers.”
7. What might be the foundations for Brand Korea
8. Brand building & Brand management issues

This would comprise the 1200-1500 words.

In the separate 300-400 words you mentioned, I would make some
suggestions regarding what Korea might do.

The article would be accompanied by some charts and rankings from well
known research sources.

Please let me have your comments by lunchtime on Tuesday 7th October,
or earlier if possible. I will then be able to send you the article on
Monday 13th October.

Best Regards

David Kilburn

[David Kilburn]

Reaponses from the Korea Times

1. Thank you very much for your professional suggestion.
But I am wondering whether you can advance the deadline to 11th
cslee


2. It will be fine if you send your article by Saturday night. We will
process it so that it can be published on Monday or Tuesday.
As it occupies one full page--if you have any relevant photos and
suggested illustrations, you can send us or give us information.
Just think of five-word sexy headline that may best represent your
article.
cslee
your passport-size color photo is necessary. A 100-word self
introduction. Who is Kilburn.
CSLEE