The Korea CQ Forum of Corea Image Communication Institute held an alumni gathering on Tuesday at the French Embassy in Seoul, bringing old and new members together for a festive Lunar New Year’s celebration.

Participants had a raffle draw, sang songs and played the traditional Korean folk game “jegi-chagi,” which involves kicking a metal coin wrapped in paper to keep it in the air.

The CQ Forum, a membership-based club for professionals, was founded in 2006 to cultivate “quotients for creativity, communication, cooperation, concentration and culture.”

The forum has organized quarterly alumni gatherings since 2007 to delve into Korean culture: listening to prominent speakers, visiting Korea’s attractions and intermingling through sports, wine and photography.
 

Korea CQ Forum members at the New Year’s alumni gathering at the French Embassy in Seoul last Tuesday included (from left to right) Wearfun chairman Kwon Gee-chan, Hanguk University of Foreign Studies professor Choi Jung-hwa, French Ambassador to Korea Jerome Pasquier, Austrian Ambassador Elisabeth Bertagnoli, Jordanian Ambassador Omar Nahar, Irish Ambassador Aingeal O’Dognoghue, hospitality consulting firm CS president Didier Beltoise and Doosan Corporation vice chairman James Bemowski. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)

Although all members are multicultural and most are multilingual, simultaneous interpretation is provided at all the events.

“The job of the ambassador is to get to know the country inside and out, which is impossible only by reading reports,” French Ambassador to Korea Jerome Pasquier told The Korea Herald. “CQ meetings give ambassadors networking opportunities with opinion leaders from diverse fields that often develop into professional connections.”

Participants at the venue included Kuwaiti Ambassador Jasem Albudaiwi, L’Oreal Korea chairman Yann Le Bourdon, Yulchon attorney Lee Jai-wook, Doosan Magazine vice president Sung Jae-chul, Chevron country chairman Bill Miner, BNP Paribas country head Joris Dierckx and Hanguk University of Foreign Studies professor Gilles Ouvrard.

Pasquier said he wanted to promote French and Korean culture to the public on both sides.

“Although French culture is quite well known in Korea, Korean people are not well aware of our contemporary cultural innovations, particularly those artworks, films and music using the latest technologies,” Pasquier said.

“The other way around, I wish Korean traditional paintings and literature were better known in France. With the help of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, foreigners are opening their eyes to the treasure trove of Korean literatures these days.”

To mark the 130th anniversary of established diplomatic relations between France and Korea next year, Pasquier said the embassy would organize a variety of events of “state secret” importance.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)