ABU President receives International Emmy Directorate Award

ABU President Dr Kim In-Kyu has been honoured in New York for 40 years of achievement in broadcasting in Korea and the Asia-Pacific.

Dr Kim, who is President and CEO of Korean Broadcasting System, received the International Emmy Directorate Award for 2012 at a ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in New York, the first time a Korean has been given this recognition.

In his acceptance speech, Dr Kim said that it was a great honour to receive the award as President of KBS and President of the ABU, for his work in promoting the Korean Wave and in developing the broadcasting culture of the Asia-Pacific region.

A video message of congratulations by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was screened at the presentation, with the Secretary General remarking on Dr Kim’s career in the media: “When I was working for the Korean Embassy in America 20 years ago, Mr. Kim was a KBS correspondent. I would now like to congratulate him on receiving the award in recognition of his leadership as president of KBS and president of ABU.”

The award by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was established in 1973. Now into its fortieth year, recent recipients have included such prominent figures as BBC Director General Greg Dyke (2003), and NHK President Katsuji Ebisawa (2002).