‘Hanbok and Ao Dai’: Hyosung Advertisement Receives Attention during President Park’s Visit

Hyosung advertisement printed in local newspapers during Park Geun-hye’s visit to Vietnam received great attention. It is considered to have contributed to building friendly relations between Korea and Vietnam in terms of quantity, content and time. For 5 days from September 7^th when President Park entered Vietnam to the 11^th when she left after the state visit, the advertisement was printed in major daily and weekly newspapers in Vietnam. This quick step received attention from Korean government officials as well as entrepreneurs in Vietnam.

The content itself was also a sensation. Considering that a syllable (Geun) of President Park’s name indicates the rose of Sharon (Mugunghwa), the national flower of Korea, the welcoming ad displayed the rose of Sharon right next to the lotus, the national flower of Vietnam. There was also the farewell ad printed on September 10^th and 11^th, featuring hanbok, the Korean traditional clothing, and ao dai, the Vietnamese traditional clothing. This ad was printed immediately after President Park appeared onstage wearing hanbok in the ‘Hanbok and Ao Dai Fashion Show’ geld in Keangnam Hanoi Landmark in Hanoi on the 8^th, which clearly imprinted Park’s image on the minds of local residents. This ad was created in advance along with the welcoming ad and delivered to the relevant media beforehand, with the intention to help Korea build friendly relations with Vietnam. The Korean media also printed stories about this ad.