In the early morning of May 25 2008, more than 2,500 people gathered at Jeongok Port in Hwaseong City of Gyeonggi Province.

What brought this large audience together, which included young couples, soccer-loving kids and people in their 40’s to 60’s, was the ceremony to appoint Cho Yong-pil and Park Ji-seong as goodwill ambassadors for the Korea International Boat Show and World Match Racing Tour, which will be held at Jeongok Port in Gyeonggi Province. Cho Yong-pil is one of Korea’s most iconic singers, while the famous soccer player Park Ji-seong helped Manchester United to win UEFA Champion’s League as a midfielder.

Despite the fact that Park Ji-seong had only just arrived in Korea on May 24 after finishing his season, and that Cho Yong-pil was making a grand national tour to mark his 40th anniversary as a singer, the two stars appeared at the early-morning appointment ceremony, which gained the attention of the press.

Citizens of Hwaseong City displayed welcoming placards on the streets and buildings to express their pride as residents of the hometown of the two stars, and more than 100 citizens volunteered to maintain traffic and public order for the successful hosting of the appointment ceremony.

At the interview, Mr. Cho said, “Hwaseong is my true hometown, which I will not forget for as long as I live. I developed my musical sensibility in Hwaseong. I hope that the Korea International Boat Show and World Match Racing Tour is a phenomenal success, and I promise that I will spare no efforts for development of Hwaseong and to give young talents a chance.”

Park Ji-seong said, “I was not born in Hwaseong, but it is like a spiritual home to me, as I graduated from Anyong Middle School in Hwaseong, Suwon Technical High School in Suwon, and Myongji University. I am glad that I performed well as a player this year, and I can attribute this success in part to the strong support of Korean citizens, particularly Gyeonggi citizens.”

Park Ji-seong took a trial ride of the nation’s first official boat for the world match racing and a luxurious cruiser with his father and youth members of Sea Explorers of Korea amidst hearty cheers from the residents who attended the ceremony. He also distributed balls that he had autographed to his fans.

Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo, who organized the event, said, “I was impressed that Mr. Park was such an honest and healthy man, and I enjoyed riding the boat and having lunch with him. I am confident that the support of Mr. Cho and Mr. Park will significantly contribute to our successful hosting of the Korea International Boat Show and World Match Racing Tour. These events will generate momentum for our domestic yacht and boat industries. I aim to help these industries develop into growth engines for our national economy, following our large shipbuilding industry.”

The Korea International Boat Show and World Match Racing Tour will be held at Jeongok Port from June 11 to June 15, 2008.