23 Government Honors Presented on Tourism Day; Hilton Gyeongju Vice President Kim Nam-cheol Receives Silver Tower Order

[Financial News] Kim Nam-cheol, vice president and general manager of Hilton Gyeongju, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit after working in the hotel industry for more than 50 years. To mark Tourism Day, the government presented 23 national honors to individuals and organizations that contributed to the advancement of the tourism industry.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it held the 53rd Tourism Day ceremony at 11 a.m. on the 30th together with the Korea Tourism Association. The event was held under the theme "Tourism that revitalizes regions, tourism that grows Korea!"
The government honors comprised four orders, two Industrial Service Medals, six Presidential Citations and 11 Prime Minister's Citations, for a total of 23 awards. Separately, 80 Ministerial Citations were presented, while five tourism businesses received Tourism Promotion Towers or Tourism Promotion Encouragement Towers.
Kim Nam-cheol has worked in the hotel industry since 1975 and handled protocol for national events, including Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings. He also contributed to the local economy and domestic tourism by hiring 529 young people from the region.
The Dongbaek Medal of the Order of Civil Merit went to Venerable Gyeho (Kim Ok-hee), the senior monk of Jingwansa Temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The honor recognized contributions to promoting food tourism through the popularization of temple cuisine and supporting national events such as APEC.
Kim Chun-chu, CEO of Kim's M&T, received the Iron Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit for operating an inbound tourism agency since 1991, attracting more than 400,000 foreign tourists and generating $100 million in foreign exchange.
Jeong Hyeong-pil, an executive director at Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX), received the Stone Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit. He was recognized for winning the operating rights for Yashobhoomi, a state-run exhibition center in India, and contributing to overseas business expansion and job creation.
Industrial Service Medals were awarded to Park Sang-won, CEO of Poyu Communications, and Lee Sang-yoon, a director at Oedo Botania. Park was recognized for handling more than 500 international events and nurturing young talent, while Lee was honored for developing the Oedo tourism destination and creating more than 600 jobs.
Taken together, the recipients' achievements show that attracting foreign tourists, employing local young people, promoting traditional food culture and operating overseas exhibition centers were recognized as key accomplishments in the tourism industry. These cases illustrate tourism's role in creating local jobs, facilitating cultural exchange and expanding overseas business.
World Tourism Day was established to commemorate the adoption of the charter of the United Nations World Tourism Organization on Sept. 27, 1970. According to the United Nations, the first commemorative event was held in 1980.
Choi Hwi-young, minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "The government will spare no investment or support for the tourism industry to create Korea's tourism future of 'irreplaceable K-tourism.'"
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter