Singaporean envoy gets top prize from Korean culture group

Published : 2012-12-02 20:23
Updated : 2012-12-02 20:23

Singaporean Ambassador to Korea Peter Tan won the grand prize at the Korea CQ award ceremony organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Hotel in southern Seoul, Tuesday.

Tan joined CIC upon his arrival in February 2011 as Singapore’s top diplomatic representative.

“(CICI) allows me to get to know people from all walks of life and gives me a whole new dimension for getting to know Korea. It is really a great, great networking group,” Tan said about CICI. “She is doing an excellent job in promoting Korea’s image.”

CQ stands for Culture Quotient, and awards members in five areas ― culture, concentration, communication, creativity and cooperation

CICI has been congratulating “graduates” of its semiannual CQ forums through 14 sessions. Hundreds of VIPs have participated over the years including Han Seung-soo, former prime minister, classical music maestro Chung Myung-whun and Lee Jasmine, National Assembly representative with the Saenuri Party.

“The Korean heart is so big and warm which is connected to our part of the world and Jordan,” said Jordanian Ambassador to Korea Omar Al-Nahar, who arrived in Korea only this year. CICI presented Al-Nahar with the CQ Concentration Award.

“I hope I am a successful student. I still have a lot to learn,” he said during the reception amidst the chattering mingling of Korea’s notables.

“He has a passion to understand and impressed all the members of CICI,” CICI president Choi Jung-wha said about why Tan received CIC’s top prize.

“CQ members exhibit great passion for learning about Korea. They become good-will ambassadors later on, too, and that promotes Korean culture around the world when they return to their home countries,” she said.

Tan has been with CICI since he arrived, making CQ14 his third session.

Joris Dierckx, chief country officer of BNP Paribas Seoul, won the CQ Culture Award and Vincent Bernard, country general manager of Christian Dior Couture Korea, took home the CQ Cooperation Award.

Franois Provost, CEO & representative director of Renault Samsung Motors, and Christian Loucq, director general of International Vaccine Institute, each received the Must Rejoin Award.

Yun Yuh-soon, president of LG Art Center, received the Ideal Student Award. Lee Haeng-hee, president of Corning Korea, received the “Together with Korea” CQ Award.

Choe Yongwon, president of New Hilltop Hotel, received Passion Award and Joseph Yang, head of the business development bureau of Veritas Korea, received Sweet Daddy Award because he so impressed members as a caring and responsible father of his two daughters.

Other foreign envoys at the reception include European Union Ambassador Tomasz Kozlowski, Austrian Ambassador Josef Muellner and Slovak Ambassador Dusan Bella.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)