Rapper Psy, members of the multicultural talk show “Non-summit” and violinist Clara Jumi Kang have been chosen as winners of the Corea Image Communication Institute awards, CICI announced Wednesday. The awards recognize their contribution toward promoting Korea’s image.

Psy, who achieved global fame with 2012 dance track “Gangnam Style” and recently released his seventh album, “Chiljip Psy-da,” will be awarded the Stepping Stone Award for showing the “vibrant, dynamic creativity” of hallyu and promoting Korean culture worldwide, the organization said. 


Alberto Mondi, Guillaume Patry, Zhang Yuan and Tyler Rasch, who star in the JTBC talk show “Non-summit,” will be awarded the Stepping Stone Bridge Award for “introducing Korean culture to the rest of the world through a unique perspective and interesting debate.”

Violinist Clara Jumi Kang will receive the Flower Stone Award for showcasing classical Korean music on the international stage, CICI said. Kang will be performing at the awards ceremony to be held on Jan. 12 at the Intercontinental Seoul Coex.

Among the dignitaries expected to attend the event are foreign envoys to Korea, including U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert, Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho and French Ambassador Fabien Penone, as well as business leaders, including CJ Group chairman Son Kyung-sik and Samsung Electronics president Lee In-yong, among others.

By Rumy Doo (bigbird@heraldcorp.com)