Overseas Korean journalists to aid absentee voting in 2012 elections

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- More than 50 Korean journalists living abroad met in the city of Incheon, west of Seoul, on Monday to discuss their role in ensuring fair absentee voting in South Korea's parliamentary and presidential races next year, the first time overseas Koreans will be given suffrage in domestic elections.
The journalists from 35 cities in 19 countries were here to evaluate their past activities and seek new visions during the 10th Overseas Korean Journalists Convention co-hosted by the Overseas Korean Media Association and Yonhap News Agency.
"For the past 10 years, the Overseas Korean Media Association has fulfilled its mission of delivering news from South Korea to Korean residents abroad, as well as its role as custodian of the Korean language and culture," Jun Kyung-hee, president of the association, said as he opened the five-day convention at a hotel in Incheon.
"The participation of overseas Koreans in the 2012 elections signifies that the Korean community abroad has become an inseparable part of South Korea. As the press of overseas Koreans, (we) will do our best to ensure that the elections are conducted in a fair manner," he said.
More than 2 million Koreans living abroad are estimated to become eligible to vote absentee by the April 2012 parliamentary race. The presidential election is slated for December the same year.
With more than 130 Korean newspapers and broadcasters in 63 cities in 32 nations, the Overseas Korean Media Association regularly holds conventions and workshops in South Korea.
Park Jung-chan, president and CEO of Yonhap News Agency, welcomed the participants, saying he hoped the forum would provide the association with a chance to open a "new future."
"The Korean press overseas should now go beyond the borders of print media and aim to transform itself in line with the trends of the global press market, focusing on video, mobile and social media services," he said.
hague@yna.co.kr