Ex-Yonhap News chief elected to join IPI executive board

SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- The International Press Institute (IPI), a global
network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, elected a South
Korean journalist as one of its board members at its media congress on Tuesday,
conference organizers said.
At the IPI World Congress and 58th General Assembly held in Helsinki, Hyon
So-whan, former president of South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and a lifelong IPI
member, joined the IPI board with a four-year term.
More than 250 editors, media executives and leading journalists attended the
four-day congress since Saturday to discuss global issues that shape press
freedom and the media. Among the topics were press freedom in Russia, the global
financial crisis, climate change and the changing face of on-line journalism.
A 12-member delegation from South Korea, including Bang Sang-hoon, chief of the
IPI Korea Committee, and Yonhap News Agency President Park Jung-chan, took part
in the event.
The Vienna-based IPI is the world's leading media body for the defense of press
freedom and promotion of dialogue among journalists worldwide.
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