Foreign-language newspaper association celebrates 7th anniversary

The recipients of the annual Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea (FNA) award pose for a photo during a ceremony commemorating the seventh anniversary of its establishment at Press Center in central Seoul, Monday. From left in the first row are The Korea Herald Layout Desk editor Lee Hyun-joo, Aju Daily team manager Wang Hai-na, Korea JoongAng Daily reporter Lee Ho-jeong and The Korea Times general manager Moon Sun-il. From left in the second row are Korea JoongAng Daily CEO Cheong Chul-gun, British Ambassador Colin Crooks, FNA Chairman and The Korea Times President-publisher Oh Young-jin, Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming, Aju Daily CEO Yang Kyu-hyun and Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea (FNA) celebrated its seventh anniversary amid an increase in the importance of global cooperation and information exchange.

Established in July 2015, the association aims to promote the significance and support the development of foreign-language newspapers in Korea. Its members include English-language dailies The Korea Times, The Korea JoongAng Daily, The Korea Herald and The Aju Daily, which is Aju Business Daily's Chinese edition.

The Korea Times President-publisher Oh Young-jin, who serves as the chairman of FNA this year, said its members not only record history, but also introduce Korea to the world.

"The world is excited over Korea ― K-pop, K-movies and K-drama ― and Korea now ranks as the world's 10th largest economy. However, there also are criticisms that Korea is not fulfilling its responsibility despite notable growth. Foreign-language media can play an important role here by bridging Korea and the world through information," Oh said.

The Aju Daily CEO Yang Kyu-hyun, the Korea JoongAng Daily CEO Cheong Chul-gun and the Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young also attended the ceremony.

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming, left, bumps fists with British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks during a ceremony commemorating the seventh anniversary of Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea at Press Center in central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Two diplomatic heavyweights ― Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming and British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks ― celebrated the seventh anniversary of the association. Both fluent in Korean, the ambassadors communicated in Korean and delivered congratulatory remarks in Korean with a focus on the importance of foreign languages.

Xing said the role of foreign language media has become bigger during the COVID-19 pandemic and other regional unrest issues.

"Exchanges between countries have been severely curtailed and the role and responsibility of newspapers as a major channel through which peoples of each country can understand each other is being emphasized more and more under this circumstance. The pen you hold is the eye and window through which peoples of each country see and understand the world," Xing said.

The Chinese ambassador also highlighted the role of the media in China-Korea relations.

"This year marks the 30th anniversary of China-Korea ties, but there are some misunderstandings and prejudices against each other among Chinese and Korean people. The role of news outlets is very important ― a story could bring a clash of public opinion or friendship between two countries," Xing said.

The British ambassador expressed gratitude to the foreign-language newspapers for acting as a vital link between Korea and the world for decades.

"The media is under threat on multiple fronts... (However) the spread of fake news and disinformation on the internet and social media has only increased the importance of more traditional sources of media. More than ever, the world needs free, independent and objective sources of information," Crooks said.

“As in the UK, the media play an important role in Korea's democracy. They help to hold politicians and officials accountable and support other precious values like the rule of law, human rights and freedom itself...

“As an ambassador in Seoul, I will work with Korea to uphold media freedom and freedom of expression around the world. I will work to encourage media exchanges between our two countries.”

The Korea Times President-publisher and the Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea (FNA) chairman Oh Young-jin, left, and The Korea Times general manager Moon Sun-il pose for a photo after Moon receiving this year's FNA award at a ceremony commemorating the seventh anniversary of FNA at Press Center in central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

This year's award for outstanding journalists went to Moon Sun-il of The Korea Times, Wang Hai-na of the Aju Daily, Lee Ho-jeong of the Korea JoongAng Daily and Lee Hyun-joo of the Korea Herald.