Culture ministry announces second-quarter policy communication campaign winners

The culture ministry said it had chosen second-quarter winners of its public-policy communications program from 48 central government agencies.

An expert panel selected 10 cases -- five from ministerial-level agencies and five from vice-ministerial-level agencies -- before an online public review determined the final rankings. The review ran from July 16 to 30 and drew 4,319 participants. The ministry said the cases were rated highly for using artificial intelligence and other public-relations methods, as well as partnerships with creators, local companies and small businesses, to make policies more accessible.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor's "Labor Day for Everyone" campaign ranked first in the ministerial-level category. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety took the top vice-ministerial-level slot with a campaign warning against drug misuse.

The employment ministry's campaign used collaborations with Instagram cartoonists and YouTube creators, along with participatory events, to present May 1 as a day for all workers. It highlighted the restoration of the Labor Day name 63 years after Workers' Day was designated in 1963. The food safety campaign used generative AI to create short videos and promoted the 1342 counseling number for narcotics addiction and rehabilitation.

The Defense Ministry ranked second in the ministerial-level category with a campaign on advanced military capabilities that used card-news content for existing audiences and an AI music video for less-interested audiences. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs placed third after putting veterans messages on delivery apps, mobile games and parcel tape. In the vice-ministerial category, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration ranked second with an Instagram-based interactive campaign on K-submarine exports and defense cooperation with Canada, while the National Tax Service placed third with film parodies urging taxpayers to file without visiting an office.

The ministry said it will continue quarterly public reviews in the second half and share evaluation results with agencies to support communications strategies. A ministry public communications official said, "We plan to further spread outstanding policy communications cases by turning the selected examples into secondary content."