International journalists gather in Seoul for annual conference

Journalists from 50 countries gesture during the opening session of the World Journalists Conference at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Anna J. Park

The World Journalists Conference kicked off Monday with 70 journalists from 50 countries arriving in Korea for the week-long event. The conference is being hosted by the Journalists Association of Korea in collaboration with the Korea Press Foundation, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the culture, sports and tourism and foreign affairs ministries.

Under the theme “The Role of Journalists in Ensuring Peace on the Korean Peninsula,” reporters, correspondents and editors from the United States, China and Germany, among others, discussed the role of the media in the ever-changing geopolitical circumstances in East Asia in the opening session.

During the session, Teresa Pfuetzner from Germany's daily Die Welt stressed that the media should pay extra attention not to repeat dominant narratives. She emphasized journalists need to closely monitor themselves so as not to recreate stereotypes or propaganda, whether it comes from South or North Korea.

Zhu Xiaoquian from the News Center of SMG, China, said journalists need to take full responsibility in disseminating the concept of peace, as media reports are critical in shaping public perception.

Teguh Santosa from the Indonesian Journalists Association shared his personal experiences of visiting North Korea as a journalist, saying understanding the overall dynamics from diverse perspectives is essential in understanding the complete picture of a conflict.

In a keynote speech, Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho called for the media to play a role in building peace on the Korean Peninsula. He said a peaceful Korean Peninsula was closely linked to the security of East Asia, noting North Korea's participation in economic affairs in the region will help stabilize it.

During the event, which takes place annually, journalists participated in field trips and site visits to gain first-hand experience of Korea's strengths both in its traditional culture and legacies, and its cutting-edge technological advances.

The program includes visits to traditional Korean houses at a Hanok Village, the administrative city of Sejong, the Samsung Innovation Museum in Suwon, the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, and the May 18th National Cemetery, commemorating the nation's democratization movement back in 1980.

In a statement, the Journalists Association of Korea said it wished not only to strengthen solidarity with foreign journalists but also to “publicize the Korean people's strong will to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula, thereby instilling peace and harmony throughout the global community.”

Since its launch in 2013, this year's event is the seventh World Journalists Conference. The Journalists Association of Korea, established in 1964, has more than 10,000 members from hundreds of media companies.