<The campaign poster of Gangnam sprits, (Photo credit: Gangnam district office)>
The Gangnam district of Seoul with a population of 560,000 has been widely known for its heavily concentrated wealth and high standard of education. Recent huge hit of song ‘Gangnam style’ by South Korean singer PSY has led to an increased international awareness of the district. Most of foreigners who have seen the music video by PSY have a followed question asking, “Where is Gangnam?”
To gratify the people’s curiosity, NBC, BBC, CCTV and some other national broadcasting stations from around Europe and Australia visited Gangnam. They filmed several of the city’s attractions including the places shown on PSY’s music video. Especially, NBC casted a news on “How to travel ‘Gangnam style'” The NBC reporter commented, “Gangnam is like Beverly Hills in America. Wherever you go in Gangnam, be prepared to spend lots of money and dress well to blend in”
Unintentionally, Gangnam has gained its international fame. The district office is now concentrating how to effectively utilize the ‘Gangnam Style Syndrome’. The district has recently awarded PSY a plaque of appreciation, and asked him to accept the position as an honorary ambassador for Gangnam. Now, the district is taking follow-up actions to use the PSY phenomenon to the fullest extent. The action strategy of the local office is basically headed towards two directions. One of the two is attracting foreign tourists and reviving related industries. The other is uplifting mature civic awareness.
The Gangnam district newly founded the department of Tourism Promotion on December 1st. The department will manage and operate several entertaining festivals, support city tour agencies, and promote medical tour business especially for plastic surgery. The very first action by the department will be the building of Hallyu (Korean Wave) Star Street. The local government is hoping to cement Gangnam’s reputation by creating the Hallyu street in the neighborhood; 1.08-kilometer-long section of the district will feature various facilities, from interactive displays to statues and other monuments.
The designated area curves through Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong, stretching between the headquarters of three of Korea’s top entertainment agencies: SM Entertainment at the western end to JYP Entertainment and Cube Entertainment at the eastern end. “This is one of the most important projects of the district office aiming to diversify, maintain and further spread Hallyu worldwide as well as make Gangnam the center for Hallyu tourism,” says Kim Gwangsu, the chief of public affairs.
At this point where the brand value of Gangnam is multiplying by PSY’s favor, the district office’s active reaction is advisable. Meanwhile, some people are also concerned that the district office’s plans should not end as a one-time event, relying on a brief popularity of few stars. By coming up with a long-term master plan, Gangnam ought to develop as a city that many tourists wish to visit and other cities hope to resemble.
