Seoul and Unesco Korea signs MOU

Unesco’s logo can now be used by Seoul in all promotions.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and

Korean National Commission for Unesco signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) yesterday that grants Seoul the permanent right to use the Unesco logo for its local and international promotions, events and facilities, the city government announced yesterday.

The MOU comes months after Unesco in July nominated Seoul as the eighth Unesco City of Design of the Unesco Creative Cities Network after Berlin, Buenos Aires, Montreal, Nagoya in Japan and Shenzen and Shanghai in China.

The City-of-Design award comes in recognition of Seoul’s design policies initiated by design aficionado Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

Oh told reporters that the use of the Unesco logo will definitely boost the image of Seoul as a world-class international city because Unesco is a credible international organization.

“Seoul just won a great opportunity to market itself to the world with the permanent use of Unesco’s name and logo,” Oh said in a press briefing. “The economic value gained by the nomination of the Unesco Creative Cities Network is estimated to be many trillions of won.”

Seoul estimates the use of the Unesco logo will increase its design market in 10 years to 10 trillion won ($8.6 billion) from the current 5 trillion won and create 25,000 jobs in the next five years.

In the case of Berlin, Oh said Berlin’s design-related companies increased to 7 percent and design factories increased 10 percent just a year after it earned the Unesco title in 2005. He also said Montreal is generating production worth $750 million and has created more than 20,000 jobs since it won the title in 2006.

“It will give a good impression to foreign tourists that they can trust Seoul’s marketing promotion material because it contains the Unesco logo,” said an official at the Seoul city government.

By Kim Mi-ju [mijukim@joongang.co.kr]