National Image of South Korea: Evolution and Trends

In the contemporary world, the political, economic as well as social position of any country is largely affected by its image. The image of any country is considered as one of the key assets the country possesses. National image means an image, which public has in mind to perceive a country's identity. National image contributes in perceiving, understanding, remembering and concluding an image of certain country. National image can be defined as a perceptional structure for people to form his or her accumulated information or expectations about certain country. It is a combination of the images of the citizens, the government, businesses, prod-ucts, cities, economic level, traditions, culture and a particular person of the country. Thus, National image is a thought or belief that people has on the country or its people. It is a gen-eral understanding of the country, which has historic, political, cultural, diplomatic, economic, social, art, and sports elements. This paper examines efforts of South Korea in building its „National image‟ throughout the period of contemporary modern history.