Media chiefs seeking Korean thaw

The Media can play a major role in bridging the two Koreas

A delegation comprising 48 senior journalists from South Korea has left for North Korea in the latest sign of thawing relations between the two states.

The eight day visit is taking place at the personal invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.

The BBC's Caroline Gluck in Seoul says presidents of South Korea's news organisations see their visit as a way of further opening up channels of communication with the North, which has been virtually closed to outside news media up until now.

The journalists are travelling via Beijing and are expected to arrive in Pyongyang later on Saturday.

Better understanding

Since the historic inter-Korean summit in June, there have been a number of new initiatives aimed at promoting closer ties between the two nations. This visit by the heads of South Korea's news organisations is the latest.

We have moved into a new era of reconciliation and co-operation, and we need to translate the agreements from the summit into practice

Kim Kyoung-cheol, Korea Herald

One member of the delegation and President of The Korea Herald English language newspaper Kim Kyoung-cheol said that by going to North Korea he will be able to better understand the North and in this way the media can play a more influential role.

In the past Kim Jong-Il has been described by the Southern media as an unpredictable recluse sponsoring terrorism, while North Korea described the media in the south as stooges of reactionaries.

Korean media gap

There are fundamental differences in the role of the media in the two countries.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il invited South Korea senior journalists

While there is a free press in the South, communist North Korea regards journalists as a tool of the state and the media is not allowed to question the party line.

Preparations for the historic summit meeting in June stumbled as the two countries tried to resolve their differences on what role the media would play.

The South Korean side pushed for wide coverage and the latest satellite broadcasting, while the North wanted to limit the role and size of the reporting team.

Kim Kyoung-cheol of the Korea Herald believes that closer ties between the nations may in time help to change things.

Absence

During their week-long visit, the media executives are scheduled to meet their North Korean counterparts to discuss media and cultural exchanges.

The media visit is the first major inter-Korean civilian exchange since the June summit

Notably absent from the media delegation however is the president of the Chosun ilbo newspaper, one of South Korea's most conservative papers and an outspoken critic of the North.

Their reporters have been denied access to North Korea on two recent occasions - Pyongyang has accused the paper of carrying provocative reports.

A spokesman for the newspaper said that while they'd continue to report the latest news from North Korea, he said they were not willing to take part in a guided press trip to pay respects to leader Kim jong-il.