Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) During the past decade, Korea has made enormous progress, moving from a developing country to a developed country. But the transition has been uneven. On one hand, Korea, in 1996, became a member of the OECD. Consequently, the skills and competence of individual Koreans are now recognized around the world; and the quality and design of Korean goods have improved enormously. However, at the same time, the image of Korea as a whole and the brand recognition of Korean-made goods are both pitifully low. When competing on the world stage, both Korean human resources and Korean products are at a disadvantage. Clearly, the reason such vast potential has not been fully appreciated lies in Korea's global reputation: The country is not recognized internationally as a stable, sovereign state but rather as a country fraught with instability and conflict. Korea's image problem can be laid at the doorstep of marketing ineptitude in the country itself. Although many factors complicate the matter, the root cause is an embarrassing lack of effort to promote “Korean-ness.” Promotion efforts have been unsound and inconsistent. Equally counterproductive were ideas that merely reflected the Korean perspective rather than the needs/ the point of view of global consumers. In other words, Korea has failed to gauge the global market. Currently, the Korean peninsula is often mentioned in the context of the North Korean nuclear and human rights issues. From a geopolitical perspective, South Korea is emerging as a major player in the Northeast Asian region, causing concern in neighboring countries about the nation's bid to become an economic hub. The country finds itself striking a precarious balance. Korean products must compete with the quality of luxury goods from developed countries as well as with the more competitive prices of low-end goods from China and Southeast Asia. To meet this challenge, Korea must effectively promote and develop its image abroad, so that it can play a positive role in the fields of politics, economics, society, culture, science and telecommunications. The ‘Corea Image Communication Institute’ is the brainchild of like-minded people who feel that the nation's global stature must be raised to a level commensurate with its capabilities. CICI is committed to a multi-faceted approach to promote Korea's image. We fervently believe that such efforts will ultimately contribute to enhancing the status of the country.