The Korean PR expert Seo Kyoung-duk has conducted many projects, which even the nation hasn't done, without hesitation. He received a great deal of attention as he ran ads about the issues of Dokdo, the East Sea, and comfort women(sexual slavery) in the world leading newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Furthermore, he made Korean language service available to New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and the American Museum of Natural History where only Japanese and Chinese language services were offered before. Recently, the traditional Korean folk song 'Arirang', which embraces the joys and sorrows of Korean people, was played on New York Times Square by him. He still struggles to correct the misconceptions about Korean culture and history while he travels the five seas and the six continents. -Ed           

His motive for becoming a Korean PR expert
 When I was a high school student, the word 'globalization' started appearing in the news media. Because I was an inquisitive student, I wondered what globalization was. Then, I decided to go around all five great oceans and six continents in person. For the first time, I went backpacking in Europe when I was a university student. I was immensely shocked there because most Europeans knew about China and Japan a lot but they didn't know about Korea, and they even thought that Korean people still used Japanese. At that time, I pledged to myself to let the world know Korea properly. I thought that correctly introducing our cultures to the world was more important than learning about other cultures in foreign countries. I packed one more suitcase with brochures about Korea which were written in English and some Korean souvenirs like traditional paper fans. I offered them with explanations whenever I met someone. It was my first project of informing about Korea.
 
Innumerable failures made him stronger
 I had great difficulty in finding support from companies for doing publicity activities in the early days. I found only one company after I visited 200 companies to find sponsorships. Once, I arranged to see a staff member of an advertising team in the lobby of his company. On the day of the meeting, he didn't appear on time, so I called him. Another staff member answered the  phone by saying, "He is not here. He is holding a conference." Two hours later, he came to meet me. I handed my project document to him and I was about to explain about it step by step, but he left directly after receiving the document. Before I left there, I found my document in a trash bin next to an elevator which was used by him just a minute before. I was upset with his rude attitude but I thought, 'Someday, you will ask me for help!' Through failure, I could find my own way of working by doing two or three things at once. If I fail in one task, I don't need to be discouraged because other tasks still remain. Therefore, I have only to concentrate on the tasks.
 
His time at university with many dreams
 I have had a freewheeling lifestyle since I was young. My first dream was to become a taxi driver because I just wanted to go anywhere like taxi drivers. From elementary school to high school, I became an MC of all ceremonies. I also had lots of fun at university and I had three goals which I hoped to achieve. The first thing was traveling the five seas and the six continents. The second thing was creating a club because the activities of clubs were vitalizing in universities at that time. The last thing was making a very pretty girlfriend and walking along arm in arm in the streets of Myung-Dong. Of course, my GPSs were lower than other friends because I was given to play. However, I never ignored classes and I took an active part in school life. Furthermore, I prepared almost all of the events of my university. I think if I can't win recognition from the world which I belong to, I can never achieve recognition from anywhere.
 
His ability to attract people
 Lifting 'a cigarette in my left hand and a bottle of soju in my right hand' is my daily business because I like to meet people a lot. With my distinct sociability, I can become intimate with strangers easily. My family had a great influence on my  personality. I have four elder sisters, so people may think that I grew up sheltered with many women. That isn't exactly correct. My parents and sisters didn't like that I stayed home all day long, so they drove me out by saying, "Go outside and play!" Sometimes I thought that I wasn't my mother's real child. I got along with the neighbors' elder brothers, so I became mature earlier than my friends of the same age. Thanks to the 'brothers', I could realize that building good relationships with people is very helpful for me to live in the world.
 
His suggestion: "travel meaningfully!"
 I still remember that Hyundai's founder Chung Ju-yung said, “Why won't you even give it a try? Put your thoughts, which just linger in your mind, into practice immediately rather than worrying and abandoning them easily." To profess and to practice are very different things, so I always try to practice what I think. I believe that my strong power of execution made me a Korean PR expert. I recommend  taking meaningful trips. These days, more and more people leave on trips overseas, but most of them have not yet been to our territory Dokdo. Don't travel just for seeking fun. Visiting Dokdo itself is very valuable. If you travel to China, visit Harbin where Ahn Jung-guen sniped Itou Hirobumi in the station. Pay tribute to the spirit of him as he gave up his life for our country there. Taking profound interests in Korea is the foundation of protecting our country.