Overseas volunteer activities driven by different ministries will be rolled into one program, and 3,000 volunteers will be dispatched annually to developing countries through the new joint program, the Presidential Council for Nation Branding said Tuesday (Mar. 17).

The council announced this during its first session reporting to President Lee Myung‐bak since the body was officially launched in January. Its chairman is Euh Yoon‐dae, former president of Korea University.

The council said it would raise Korea''s nation brand ranking from its current 33rd to 15th (the average standing of all OECD members) by 2013. The reporting session was attended by 183 domestic and foreign key officials.

To achieve the goal by the year 2013, the council said it would focus on five major areas – the strengthening of Korea''s international contributions, high‐technology and cutting‐edge product development, culture and tourism development, support for multicultural families and expatriates, and citizenship cultivation.

Seven major ministries, including Strategy and Finance; Education, Science and Technology; Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Culture, Sports, and Tourism, presented their individual plans to enhance the nation''s brand image at the gathering.