Vietnam attends World Journalists Conference

World Journalists Conference 2023 opens in Seoul, the Republic of Korea. (Photo: Nguyen Yen)

Seoul (VNA) - Some 50 journalists from 47 countries around the world are attending the World Journalists Conference 2023 (WJC), which opened in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on April 25. The Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) sent two representatives to this conference.

WJC 2023 is being held by the Journalists Association of Korea (JKA) with the theme “Leadership in the Digital Transformation Era and the Role of Journalism for Regional Development.”

“We now live in an era where we can access the news and information we need anytime, anywhere with a single smartphone,” Kim Dong Hoon, President of the Journalists Association of Korea, said in his opening remarks. “Things that were unimaginable just a few years ago have become reality. Science and digital technology are evolving faster than ever. If we do not prepare for our future, journalism may face unprecedented crises.”

President of the Journalists Association of Korea Kim Dong Hoon delivers opening speech at the conference. (Photo: Nguyen Yen)

Pyo Wan Soo, Chairperson of the Korea Press Foundation, said the World Journalists Conference will serve as a platform for journalists from around the globe to reflect, share ideas, debate, and cooperate.

“I anticipate that various ideas and proposals regarding regional development and the establishment of peace will be presented by journalists worldwide to form a shared understanding,” he said.

Pyo Wan Soo, Chairperson of the Korea Press Foundation, delivers a speech at the conference. (Photo: Nguyen Yen)

On April 25, speakers and participants at the conference gave speeches and presentations on “The Challenge of Journalism for the Regional Development” and “Leadership in the Digital Transformation Era and the Future of Journalism.”

The themes are currently of great significance in the media around the world at a time when smartphones are monopolizing the news supply market.

"Journalism is already entering a completely new era as we have moved past the digital transformation phase and are now witnessing the development of generative artificial intelligence (Al), such as ChatGPT," Pyo Wan Soo said.

He added that it is still unclear whether these changes will bring about crisis or opportunity for the field of journalism, but what is clear is that the proper human “verification” of new technologies like ChatGPT has become very important.

“This may be the kind of leadership and function of journalism that the world needs in this day and age,” he said.

Journalists attend the conference. (Photo: JAK)

During the April 24 - 29 gathering, in addition to exchanging expertise and journalism skills, journalists will be provided with the opportunity to immerse themselves in Korean culture and ambiance, visiting major cities such as Gyeonggi, Suwon, Busan, and Incheon.

The World Journalists Conference, which celebrates its 11th anniversary this year, is held annually and covers various topics such as issues in journalism, world peace, and the environment, and has become the world’s largest conference involving journalists.

The Journalists Association of Korea, established in 1964, has more than 10,000 members from 203 companies spanning newspapers, broadcasting, telecommunications, and internet platforms./.