With the G-20 Summit approaching, all eyes are focusing on Seoul. The Korean economy has been growing rapidly over the past couple of years and it now ranks 9th in the world in terms of export volume. However, Korea’s national brand image still lags behind.

The Group of 20 summit in Seoul is expected to offer South Korea a huge opportunity to enhance its national brand. The event is expected to allow South Korea to promote its economic achievements among world leaders, their delegations and journalists and help the nation enhance its undervalued national competitiveness.

“The frequent confusion between South and North Korea and global coverage on the North often undermine efforts to enhance our brand awareness,” Lee Bae-yong, chair of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding (PCNB), told an international forum in Seoul.

Hallyu, or the Korean Wave phenomenon, has helped put South Korea on the map as a modern Asian nation with much to offer culturally. But has it brought economic gains to the nation?

It's not an exaggeration to say that all eyes will be fixed on Seoul in November with Korea hosting the G20 Summit. Ahead of the global meeting the Presidential Council on Nation Branding organized a conference on how the summit will affect Korea's national brand.

The Hungarian government last week bestowed the Officer’s Cross Order of Merit to the former president of the Korea Foundation for his work in improving cultural and educational ties between the two countries.

Many images of South Korea in hit American television series have been “distorted,” raising concerns over their detrimental impact on the country’s overall image, a ruling party lawmaker pointed out Thursday.

North Korean propaganda has emerged on popular Internet social media sites. It is not for domestic consumption as virtually no North Korean has Internet access. Rather it is targeted at other countries, especially South Korea.