NIALL Quinn took to the skies on his first day as Sunderland’s head of international development as part of a three-man delegation to promote the club’s image in South Korea.

Quinn travelled alongside manager Steve Bruce and the newly-appointed international marketing director Mike Farnan to help build links between the club and the country already developed with the signing of South Korea international striker Ji Dong-Won.

The trip will also involve Bruce taking in South Korea’s World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates in the capital city Seoul on October 11.

It is not clear, however, if the manager is attending with a view to looking at any possible future signing.

It is understood Quinn and Farnan will aim to establish a foothold in the Far East which would hopefully fill Sunderland’s coffers with potential lucrative commercial deals.

That may also involve the naming rights of the Stadium of Light being up for grabs.

Not to mention the fact any extra revenue generated could help the club deal with Uefa’s financial fair play rules, which come into effect at the start of season 2013/14.

Both Quinn and Farnan expressed their hopes this trip could see Sunderland reap financial dividends.

Quinn said: “While we will always be steeped in the tradition of our north east roots, for our club to grow, develop and compete with the big teams we need to raise our profile globally.

“Our trip to (South) Korea is very much about building links from both a football and community perspective and we are honoured to have been invited.”

Farnan added: “There is a huge interest in and passion for Premier League football across Asia and there is a great opportunity for Sunderland to be part of this.”

Meanwhile, Bruce has assured his back-up strikers Ji Dong-Won and Conor Wickham their time in a Sunderland shirt will come.