Reporters from war allies explore Korean culture, economy

Press members from countries that joined South Korean forces during the Korean War (1950-1953) visited here last week to cover the nation’s economic and cultural growth so far.

In commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the Korean War, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Korean Culture and Information Service invited nine journalists from six countries including U.K., U.S., Australia, India, Thailand and the Philippines from June 20-26 to express gratitude for the dispatch and show the government’s latest efforts to keep peace in the peninsula. 

“We prepared the event to promote Korea’s economic and cultural achievements after overcoming the aftermath of the war and establish the image as a peaceful country,” said Seo Kang-soo, assistant minister and director of KOCIS.

Participants included Praveen Krishna Swami, diplomacy editor at U.K.’s biggest daily newspaper the Daily Telegraph, Julian Borger, diplomacy editor at the Guardian, Dylan Welch, a reporter at the Sydney Morning Herald, and Mark Edward Harris, a freelance photographer from the U.S. known for the award-winning book “Inside North Korea.”

The group visited Gyeongbokgung, the premier palace of the Joseon Dynasty, the Demilitarized Zone and several cultural heritage sites in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province; interviewed officials of the PyeongChang 2018 Bid Committee, high-profile diplomacy and security officials and Samsung Group officials; had an in-depth discussion on “Road to Peace on Korean Peninsula” with experts on North-South relations; and enjoyed Korean traditional performance “Miso” at Chongdong Theater in central Seoul.

On June 25 ― the day the war broke out in 1950 ― participants attended a commemorative ceremony of the Korean War held at The War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-dong, central Seoul, and interviewed war veterans.

Special Broadcasting Service, Australia’s state-run radio broadcaster, visited SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, some of Korea’s top entertainment agencies, mirroring hallyu spreading out from Asia to Europe and other continents as well.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)