Seoul set to hold teleconference with panel of foreigners for the first time

Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold a teleconference with its Global Seoul Mates, its foreign publicity army, at its Seosomun Building (13th floor) on Friday, June 7, 2012 for 40 minutes from 13:30 to 14:10. As well as being the first teleconference with Global Seoul Mates, it is a Seoul City initiative worthy of keen public interest, given that it will be the city's first international teleconference to include a foreigner based overseas in a panel composed exclusively of foreigners.

Through a dialogue with the mayor of Seoul that transcends the limits of space, the government aims to secure a channel of communication with its global citizenry, appreciate the services of the Global Seoul Mates, and ask for their continuous contributions to introducing unknown faces of Seoul to the global community through their own creations. 

So far the city of Seoul has recruited a total of 110 Global Seoul Mates from 26 countries. Four panelists, one each from the US, Japan, China, and Taiwanese, will participate in the first teleconference, which will be broadcast live on ten broadcasting channels as the 16th broadcast of Mr. Won Soon's Seoul Story on June 7. 

Evoking their love for Seoul and their efforts to promote it to the wider world, the panelists will be talking with the mayor about the city from their own unique perspectives. 

Ms.Hsu Yun Jou, a Taiwanese art director, will be talking from Taiwan through Google+'s video chat tool, while the other three panelists (from the U.S., Japan, China) will be sitting with the mayor on site. 

Mr. Michiael Aronson from the United States is scheduled to introduce his short documentary of a makgeolli (traditional Korean rice wine) bar run by Ttaru (a Finland woman) who served as an honorary ambassador for the Seoul Friendship Fair 2012, in an effort to promote Seoul and Korean culture in the global community. 

Besides the discussion between the mayor and the panel, the event will feature some visual productions of , the first mission challenge for the Global Seoul Mates in the two-week event held from May 16 to 29. An online photo zone will be featured, and foreigners' interesting episodes about Seoul will be introduced. A quiz show will be arranged on the topic of Seoul's hottest attractions from the perspective of foreigners. 

Finally, some SNS messages prepared by Global Seoul Mates on their feelings about Seoul and what they want from the city will be presented. 

In February 2012, the city government selected 110 Global Seoul Mates from among candidates residing both in Seoul and overseas through a variety of media, and they began their service as global Seoul mates in May.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is now planning to recruit another 100 people as 2012 Global Seoul Mates in August 2012 in its bid to expand its support for foreigners' Seoul PR initiatives. 

The "Global Seoul Mates" community site is located on the city's representative foreign language website, and is available in English, Japanese, simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese.