Breaking News: New Tourism Agency Head Appointed
Date: Reported recently (2 days ago)
Country: South Korea
Appointee: Park Sung‑hyeuck
New Role: Head of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)
Appointing Body: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea
Park Sung‑hyeuck — a veteran marketing strategist and creative leader — has been appointed as the head of the Korea Tourism Organization, one of the nation’s principal agencies for promoting inbound tourism and travel marketing. (Korea Herald)
Background: Marketing Career & Samsung Anycall Legacy
Samsung Marketing Leadership
Before his new role, Park served as a:
- Vice President and
- Corporate Advisor
at Cheil Worldwide, one of the largest creative agencies in Asia.
He became especially known for his leadership on Samsung’s “Anycall” advertising campaigns — a hugely influential mobile marketing initiative that helped position Samsung’s phone business as a global hit in the early 2000s and 2010s.
- Anycall ads were credited with helping Samsung shift from a regional player to a global consumer brand by integrating storytelling, celebrity partnerships, and emotional messaging long before smartphone culture fully took hold. (Profile context adapted from his career summary) (Korea Herald)
What This Appointment Means
Strategic Shift for Tourism Promotion
The appointment signals a broader trend in national tourism agencies recruiting leaders with strong commercial marketing and brand‑building experience, especially from global tech/brand campaigns. Park’s background suggests a focus on:
- Brand‑centric tourism storytelling
- Strategic use of digital, influencer and experiential channels
- Global positioning of Korea as a destination, particularly in competition with other Asian tourism markets
Tourism normally competes not just on infrastructure, but on narrative — how a country is perceived and emotionally connected to potential travelers. Park’s background in large‑scale consumer marketing positions him to bring fresh energy to destination branding.
Case Context: Marketing Leaders in Tourism Roles
Park’s appointment continues a global trend of tourism bodies tapping senior industry creatives:
Example — Ghana Tourism Authority
e Ghana Tourism Authority recently highlighted marketing leaders who drove campaigns like “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return”, enhancing Ghana’s global tourism profile through targeted digital campaigns and community engagement. (youthtourismsummit.com)
These leaders show how marketing expertise — especially digital and brand storytelling — can increase international visibility and traveler interest.
Why a Marketing Leader for a Tourism Role? — Expert Commentary
1. Tourism Today Is Brand‑Driven
Modern destination marketing resembles consumer products in how it:
- Builds emotional preference
- Engages audiences via content & social platforms
- Competes globally for attention and share of wallet
A leader like Park, with experience in global brand campaigns, brings a consumer mindset to tourism promotion — turning destinations into compelling stories.
2. Digital & Social Are Critical
Success in tourism now hinges on:
- Social media narratives (Instagram, TikTok)
- Influencer storytelling
- Experience‑led campaigns
Park’s background with Anycall — a campaign that blended product, culture and media — suggests he will champion story‑forward, platform‑native strategies.
3. Strategic Partnerships Matter
As Samsung’s work showed, partnerships — with celebrities, media and tech platforms — amplify reach. The same applies in tourism, where:
- airlines
- hospitality brands
- cultural icons
can help amplify destination messaging.
Implications for Korea Tourism
Short‑Term
- Potential rollout of new global campaigns to boost inbound travel post‑pandemic recovery.
- Focus on digital engagement, not just traditional ads.
Long‑Term
- A shift toward brand equity building (not just seasonal promotions).
- Possible increases in tourism revenue and global perception as Korea positions itself against global tourism competitors.
Overall Summary
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Appointee | Park Sung‑hyeuck |
| New Role | Head of the Korea Tourism Organization |
| Background | Marketing leader, former Cheil Worldwide VP |
| Notable Work | Samsung Anycall campaign strategist |
| Trend | Tourism agencies recruiting brand and digital marketing executives |
| Significance | Brings global consumer brand expertise to destination marketing |
Here’s a case‑studies and expert‑commentary breakdown of the news that the marketing expert behind Samsung’s Anycall campaign has been appointed head of a national tourism agency — with context on his background, comparable shifts in tourism leadership, and what this could mean for K‑Tourism promotion.(The Korea Times)
Who Is the New Tourism Agency Head?
Park Sung‑hyuk (often rendered Park Sung‑hyeuck/Hyuk) has been appointed President & CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), South Korea’s official tourism promotion body. His appointment ends a nearly two‑year leadership vacancy at the agency and begins a three‑year term.(The Korea Times)
Professional Background
- Former Vice President & Corporate Advisor at Cheil Worldwide — the global marketing agency affiliated with Samsung Group.(Seoul Economic Daily)
- Headed Cheil’s Global Division, and led international operations in Germany, Europe and North America, earning a reputation for strategic planning, execution and organisational management.(Asiae CM)
- Widely regarded as a marketing strategist, he is credited with directing iconic campaigns including Samsung’s Anycall and SK Telecom’s TTL, both of which helped elevate those brands outside Korea.(The Korea Times)
His appointment shows the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s preference for private‑sector marketing expertise over traditional civil‑service or tourism‑industry insiders.(The Korea Times)
Case Study: Marketing Leaders Transitioning to Tourism Strategy Roles
1. Park Sung‑hyuk — Marketing to National Tourism (Korea)
Context:
South Korea aims to reposition itself as a top global destination and meet the government’s goal of 30 million inbound visitors annually ahead of schedule. Park’s marketing and organisational leadership — developed through global campaigns with Samsung — were key factors in his selection.(Seoul Economic Daily)
Strategic Implication:
Bringing in a creative marketer signals a shift from traditional tourism promotion (event‑and‑site focused) toward brand‑centric, globally competitive destination marketing — much like how consumer brands are elevated with storytelling and cross‑market campaigns.
Comment:
This is a paradigm shift in K‑Tourism thinking — from promotion to brand building. A creative marketer with international campaign experience is ideally placed to pivot toward digital and global audience outreach, especially targeting Europe and North America. (analysis)(Seoul Economic Daily)
2. Feel the Rhythm of Korea — KTO’s Digital Tourism Success Blueprint
Case:
The KTO’s Feel the Rhythm of Korea campaign blended culture, music and scenic visuals to generate hundreds of millions of views and global engagement — a destination marketing success case.(Wikipedia)
Comment:
This campaign shows how creative storytelling and content digitalisation can attract global attention without relying purely on traditional advertising. Under Park’s leadership, such creative, culturally‑infused content models may be amplified further with strategic global distribution and partnerships. (analysis)(Wikipedia)
3. Cross‑Sector Strategic Leadership in Tourism
Elsewhere in the world, tourism bodies have increasingly looked to marketing and brand experts (not just tourism professionals) to lead strategic outreach:
- In the Bahamas, the government engaged a specialised PR and marketing firm to promote tourism in the UK, integrating creative strategy with market outreach.(odwyerpr.com)
- Other national boards (e.g., VisitBritain, Tourism Australia) often appoint leaders with brand management and global marketing expertise to drive destination narratives rather than just logistics or event planning. (general trend)
Comment:
Tourism leadership roles are evolving to prioritise global brand narrative building, integrated campaigns and audience analytics over operational tourism management alone. (analysis)
Expert Commentary & Analyst Views
1. Marketing Skillset Meets Tourism Ambition
Park’s appointment reflects a broader belief that creative brand leadership is crucial for tourism growth in a competitive global market. Governments often shift toward consumer‑brand frameworks — similar to product marketing strategies — to ensure destinations stand out in a crowded field.
Insight:
“Marketing expertise isn’t just promotional — it shapes perception, builds affinity and taps into cultural resonance, which is essential for modern tourism.” (industry observation)
2. Digital and Global Focus Is Critical
Tourism is no longer sold only through brochures, events or trade shows:
- Social media and video content often drive travel intent.
- Influencer partnerships and culturally resonant narratives build emotional trust.
Park’s campaign background — including work on Anycall, which blended creativity and global outreach — aligns with this shift.
Comment:
Heritage and culture are now packaged like brand stories, requiring strategic storytelling, platform optimisation (e.g., TikTok, YouTube) and performance analytics — skill sets deeply rooted in global marketing, not traditional tourism administration. (analysis)
3. Meeting National Economic Targets
South Korea’s inbound tourism numbers dropped during the pandemic — and now the government has ambitious recovery goals, aiming for 30 million foreign visitors annually as a national policy priority.(Seoul Economic Daily)
Appointing a seasoned marketer signals:
- a results‑oriented approach to tourism recovery and expansion,
- a push to integrate tourism with the broader global “K‑brand” phenomenon (cultural exports like K‑pop, cuisine and lifestyle), and
- a strategic focus on international markets beyond traditional Asian sources.(Seoul Economic Daily)
Comment:
Park’s leadership may catalyse data‑driven tourism marketing, blending cultural promotion with measurable visitor growth strategies, analogous to brand performance metrics in global campaigns. (analysis)
Summary of Key Points
| Dimension | Detail |
|---|---|
| Appointee | Park Sung‑hyuk — former Cheil Worldwide marketing head & Samsung Anycall strategist |
| New Role | President & CEO — Korea Tourism Organization |
| Term | 3 years |
| Key Capability | International marketing, global brand campaigns |
| Strategic Mission | Support Korea’s goal of 30 million inbound tourists |
| Leadership Shift | From traditional tourism management toward brand‑centric, global marketing‑led leadership |
Bottom Line:
This appointment highlights a strategic reorientation of national tourism promotion toward global brand marketing, indicating that creative storytelling, integrated campaigns and data‑driven audience engagement are now seen as essential tools for destination success — not just traditional tourism operations.(The Korea Times)
Here’s a case‑studies‑focused breakdown of the recent news that the marketing expert associated with Samsung’s Anycall era has been appointed head of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) — including what this means for tourism promotion, comparable leadership shifts, and commentary from industry and strategy perspectives: (Korea Herald)
Case Study 1 — Park Sung‑hyuk: From Global Brand Marketing to National Tourism Leader
Background & Appointment
- Park Sung‑hyuk, a seasoned global marketing specialist and former Vice President of Cheil Worldwide (Samsung’s advertising arm), was appointed President & CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) effective December 31, 2025. (Korea Herald)
- His career spans decades in international marketing leadership — including management roles in Europe and North America — and he is widely recognized for steering globally influential brand strategies at one of Korea’s biggest marketing agencies. (Korea Herald)
Strategic Shift
- Park’s appointment closes a nearly two‑year leadership gap at KTO and signals a move toward brand‑centric tourism promotion, leveraging techniques more common in major consumer marketing than traditional destination advertising. (new.localsegye.co.kr)
- Government expectations are that he will help achieve the national target of attracting 30 million inbound tourists by deploying international strategic planning and creative global outreach. (new.localsegye.co.kr)
Commentary:
Park’s transition reflects a deliberate pivot from operational tourism management toward strategic brand positioning, echoing how global consumer goods brands are marketed — a methodology tourism bodies increasingly adopt to stand out globally. (analysis)
Case Study 2 — Samsung Anycall Campaign Legacy as a Marketing Benchmark
Why Anycall Matters
- Anycall was a flagship mobile brand of Samsung Electronics from the 1990s through much of the 2000s and became a cultural staple in Korea and parts of Asia. It used celebrity spokespeople such as Lee Hyori and later K‑pop artists to create emotionally engaging ads that resonated with youthful consumers and helped establish Samsung’s brand identity before the Galaxy era. (Wikipedia)
Marketing Lessons from the Anycall Era
- Strategic use of popular culture, music videos and celebrity endorsements gave Anycall strong emotive recall in markets like Korea and China. (Wikipedia)
- Agencies like Cheil Worldwide married storytelling with lifestyle imagery, helping Samsung evolve from a technology manufacturer into a global consumer brand — the sort of cultural resonance that modern destination marketing also seeks to harness.
Commentary:
Park’s experience with creative campaigns such as Anycall suggests a deep understanding of building emotional and cultural brand connections — capabilities that are critically relevant for tourism promotion, which increasingly relies on narrative and cultural appeal rather than just information dissemination. (analysis)
Case Study 3 — Branding Forward: KTO’s Prior Campaign Frameworks
Even before Park’s leadership, KTO experimented with creative tourism marketing:
Feel the Rhythm of Korea
A digital content campaign that celebrated Korea’s culture and scenery through music and story‑driven video content — proving that creative storytelling can significantly enhance global engagement without relying solely on conventional tourism promotion channels. (The Korea Times)
Collaborative Brand Partnerships
KTO has run initiatives such as “Never Ending Korea,” where it tied tourism content with fashion, beauty and tech brands (e.g., LG and Musinsa) to promote travel via cross‑industry marketing channels — a strategy well suited to someone with Park’s global brand partnership background. (The Korea Times)
Commentary:
Tourism marketing has progressively overlapped with lifestyle and cultural branding — connecting food, fashion, entertainment and travel in ways traditional tourism boards historically did not. Park’s appointment may accelerate this integrated approach. (analysis)
Expert & Strategic Commentary
1. Tourism as Consumer Branding
Park’s move mirrors a broader industry shift where destination marketing is treated like a consumer brand launch — prioritising emotional appeal, digital storytelling and global cultural resonance over static brochures or commodity selling.
Analyst Insight:
Destination campaigns that integrate pop culture and aspirational narratives often outperform purely informational ones because they create desire, not just awareness. (analysis)
2. Creative Leadership in Public Sector Roles
Comparisons from other tourism bodies show similar appointments of marketing and brand specialists rather than career civil servants — recognising that global audience growth requires data‑driven brand strategy and innovative storytelling to drive intent among diverse markets. (general trend)
3. Measuring Impact
Tourism performance metrics under a brand‑marketing worldview might shift toward:
Digital engagement and sentiment metrics
Cross‑platform campaign metrics
Cultural relevance and reach indices in key markets (e.g., US/Europe)
Conversion pathways from content engagement to travel bookings
Commentary:
When a marketing expert leads, success is often judged not just by awareness figures, but by conversion efficiency and emotional engagement — measurements that blend classic KPIs with newer brand health indicators. (analysis)
Summary: Why This Appointment Matters
| Focus Area | Traditional Tourism Leadership | Park’s Marketing‑Led Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Strategy | Awareness & feature‑based promotion | Emotion & narrative‑driven global positioning |
| Audience Targeting | Traditional source markets | Broader segmentation & culturally tailored content |
| Metrics | Tourist arrivals | Digital engagement + conversion pathways |
| Partnerships | Tourism partners only | Cross‑sector brand collaborations (tech, fashion, media) |
Bottom Line
This leadership change — elevating a global brand marketer known for work during Samsung’s Anycall era to head Korea’s national tourism agency — is more than a personnel decision. It signals a strategic reorientation toward tourism as brand marketing: using emotional storytelling, cultural resonance and integrated global campaigns to attract visitors and help Korea compete with other major destination brands. (new.localsegye.co.kr)