SEOUL Tourism Organization (STO) has appointed Sung-Real Lee as president & CEO, effective July 2, 2012.

Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB) said in a statement that under Lee’s leadership, the South Korean capital would look to boost its profile as a tourism destination and increase its competitiveness in the international meetings industry.

One of Lee’s first tasks would be to help expand the accommodation infrastructure in Seoul, SCB added.

“As the city is set to host a record number of 10 million international visitors this year, it is essential for Seoul to continue expanding the number of hotel rooms in the city – especially those that are specifically geared towards accommodating international visitors,” said Lee.

At his opening speech for the third annual Seoul MICE Forum, Lee also stressed the importance of furthering Seoul’s meetings industry.

“The meetings industry is a key service industry that will lead the way in the knowledge-oriented economy of the future.  Seoul and (South) Korea are not alone in this belief - all major cities and countries of the world are currently engaged in an intense battle to increase their competitiveness by investing in the meetings industry,” he said.

Lee joins STO after over 30 years in the private sector, during which he served as the head of key finance and project development divisions in the Hyundai Group.