Meet Sandra Mullard, Promotion Officer at the Korean National Tourist Office in Paris

Is the Gangnam business district exclusively dedicated to business?

Sandra Nicholls - No, it's a vast and diverse area, with a vibrant nightlife and shopping scene. To describe its atmosphere, you'd have to imagine a cross between the 16th arrondissement of Paris, La Défense and Saint-Germain or Chatelet in the evening. During the day, the main activity is business, as many head offices are located in Gangnam. But in the evening, people head for the many bars and restaurants, and of course the karaoke bars. An institution in Korea, even among colleagues

A growing attraction for the French in Korea

Does the France-Korea year influence French visitors to South Korea?

S. N. - It's clear that the French are increasingly attracted to the country. We had a total of 83,000 French visitors in 2015, up 4 % on 2014. But this is not necessarily linked to the context of the France-Korea year. The French embassy is very active in university exchanges, and more and more French students are learning Korean. There's been a real boom in the teaching of this language in France.

Is regional geopolitics holding back the French market?

S. N. - In France, when people talk about Korea, they often confuse it with North Korea. Similarly, Pyeong-Chang, which will host the Winter Olympics in 2018, can be confused with the North Korean capital... Yet these are two completely different countries, and South Korea remains a very safe destination.

Also in this dossier: Seoul Gangnam: Business in style