SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - South Korea's foreign-language newspapers marked 11 years of working under a single banner on Thursday, with their association pledging to expand international exchanges and prepare member outlets for an era reshaped by artificial intelligence.
The Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea held its 11th anniversary ceremony at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, drawing guests including Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing, Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram, Seoul Vice Mayor for Political Affairs Park Chan-gu and James Kim, chairman and chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. The United States Embassy sent a spokesperson on behalf of the ambassador, who could not attend due to scheduling.
Association chairman Yang Kyu-hyun, who also heads Aju Ilbo, addressed the contrast directly in his opening remarks, delivered in Korean. "The fact that both countries value our association and the role of foreign-language media is by no means a small thing," he said.
Founded in 2015, the Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea (FLNAK) brings together the country's English-language and other foreign-language news outlets, including Aju Ilbo, The Korea Herald, The Korea Times and the Korea JoongAng Daily, whose representatives attended Thursday's ceremony. The group positions its members as a bridge between South Korea and international audiences.
Yang said the past 11 years had tested member outlets through the decline of print, the digital transition and shifts in the international order. This year's event was deliberately smaller than last year's 10th anniversary celebration, prepared as a family-like occasion that put substance over scale. "The AI era is both a crisis and a new opportunity for journalism," Yang said. "The value of foreign-language media equipped with accuracy, trust and an international perspective will only grow larger." He said FLNAK would expand international exchanges, develop joint projects among member companies and work to secure policy support.
In a congratulatory speech, Dai called China "the biggest victim" of disinformation and urged foreign-language media to report on the country objectively, saying "one important origin of fake news is ideological bias and political manipulation." He said the exchange of state visits between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping had opened "a new chapter" in bilateral relations, and invited journalists to visit China and "tell the story of a real, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive China."
Kim said artificial intelligence only reinforced the value of trusted journalism, telling the audience that "technology can generate content, but it cannot replace sound judgment, editorial integrity, or the credibility that professional journalists have built over many years." He noted that of the 14 companies worldwide valued at more than $1 trillion, two are Korean, a sign of South Korea's rising global profile.
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