Key figures in K-tourism honored at 53rd Tourism Day ceremony

53rd Tourism Day ceremony held Wednesday

23 tourism workers receive government awards

Hilton Gyeongju's Kim Nam-chul among top honorees

Award recipients and key attendees pose for a group photo at the 53rd Tourism Day ceremony held Wednesday. From left: the father of Kintex Director Jeong Hyeong-pil, accepting the award on his behalf; Jingwansa temple head Kim Ok-hee (dharma name Gyeho), recipient of the Order of Civil Merit Camellia Medal; Korea Tourism Association Chairman Lee Gyeong-su; Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-yeong; Hilton Gyeongju General Manager Kim Nam-chul, recipient of the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit; and Kim's M&T CEO Kim Chun-chu, recipient of the Iron Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit. [Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

From a hotel worker with more than half a century on the job to MICE industry veterans who opened new overseas markets, the people who built South Korea's tourism ecosystem were honored with government awards Wednesday. The government said it would continue large-scale national investment and development policies to sustain growth in the tourism sector.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism co-hosted the 53rd Tourism Day ceremony with the Korea Tourism Association on Wednesday. Tourism Day falls on Sept. 27 each year, designated to mark the adoption of the World Tourism Organization Charter on that date in 1970.

The ceremony included a presentation of government awards to 23 individuals who contributed to the development of the tourism industry. Officials used the occasion to encourage tourism professionals working alongside the government and to reaffirm the state's commitment to large-scale investment in K-tourism.

The awards presented included four orders — the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, the Order of Civil Merit Camellia Medal, the Iron Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit and the Stone Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit — along with two industrial commendations, six presidential citations and 11 prime ministerial citations.

Kim Nam-chul, vice president and general manager of Wooyang Industrial Development's Hilton Gyeongju, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit. Kim has worked in the hotel industry for more than 50 years since 1975, overseeing protocol for state events including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, and was recognized for hiring 529 young people from the local community and 975 hotel industry workers, contributing to the regional economy and the promotion of domestic tourism.

Kim Ok-hee, head of Jingwansa temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism (dharma name Gyeho), received the Order of Civil Merit Camellia Medal. A master of temple cuisine, she was recognized for popularizing temple food to boost culinary tourism, supporting state events including APEC, and promoting traditional food culture to raise the country's international profile. The Order of Civil Merit is awarded to those who have made distinguished contributions to public welfare and national development in the fields of politics, economics, society, education and academia; the Camellia Medal is the third of five grades.

Kim Chun-chu, CEO of Kim's M&T, received the Iron Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit. Since 1991, Kim has operated an inbound travel agency for foreign visitors, attracting more than 400,000 foreign tourists and generating $100 million in foreign currency earnings, and was recognized for developing a proprietary tourism product sales system that contributed to the industry's growth.

Jeong Hyeong-pil, a director at Kintex, received the Stone Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit. He was recognized for securing operating rights to major overseas exhibition venues — including Yashobhoomi, India's state-owned exhibition center — marking a first for a domestic convention center, establishing a foreign currency inflow structure through long-term operating contracts, and attracting more than 200 international events annually to boost job creation and strengthen South Korea's competitiveness in MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions).

Additional honorees across various tourism fields received two industrial commendations, six presidential citations, 11 prime ministerial citations and 80 ministerial citations. Five tourism businesses that contributed to foreign currency earnings received Tourism Promotion Tower and Tourism Promotion Encouragement Tower awards.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-yeong [Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

"I extend my deepest gratitude to the tourism professionals who have made today's K-tourism possible — a sector that continues to set new records day after day," Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-yeong said. "The future of K-tourism lies in making Korea not just a country people want to visit once, but one they must visit — and one they want to return to." Choi added that the government would spare no investment or support for the tourism industry in building what she called "an irreplaceable K-tourism" for South Korea's future.

terry@heraldcorp.com