Journalism Beyond Borders: Koo Bon-hong Reflects on AJA’s Mission and Challenges

By Koo Bon-hong
Former AJA Chairman

SEOUL: I have completed my term as Chairman of the Asia Journalist Association and returned as an ordinary member.

My tenure began in October 2022 and lasted three years and six months.

The Asia Journalist Association is an association organized around journalists across Asia. It was founded in November 2004 by journalists from East Asian countries including Korea, China, Japan, and Mongolia, as well as ASEAN nations such as Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Established under the banner of “world peace through truthful and fair reporting and the defense of press freedom,” AJA is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and received official NGO status from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in July 2010. I served as chairman of that incorporated association.

Beyond race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and ideology, the organization respects diverse opinions and remains open even to journalists outside Asia who share its founding vision.

AJA currently consists of 36 full member countries across the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, China, Japan, India, Vietnam, and Türkiye, as well as 10 associate member countries including the United States, Brazil, and South Africa.

Since its founding president, Lee Sang-ki, the association’s presidency has rotated among journalists from various Asian countries.

Among those who have served as AJA ambassadors are Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, mountaineer Um Hong-gil, football coach Hong Myung-bo, actor Park Sang-won, and Mongolian popular singer D.Bold.

At a time when the current conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran demands the role of responsible journalism more than ever, AJA, together with its sister publication The AsiaN, has been striving to raise global awareness by reporting authoritative and in-depth facts, opinions, and analyses through various media platforms.

One of the efforts I pursued most actively after assuming the AJA chairmanship was cooperation for the bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.

For nearly nine years since 2014, Busan made countless attempts to win the bid for Expo 2030. However, in the first-round vote held on November 29, 2023, the city suffered a crushing defeat to Saudi Arabia.

At the time, both the Korean government and Busan Metropolitan City projected highly optimistic outcomes, yet all the data, analyses, and judgments that supported those expectations turned out to be fundamentally flawed. False information led not only the public but even the officials involved into serious misjudgment. It was truly disheartening.

On May 4, the Asia Journalist Association held a board meeting at the Korea Press Center and presented me with a plaque of appreciation in the name of the board members and executives in recognition of my service.

The plaque read: “Chairman Koo Bon-hong, during his tenure from October 2022 to May 2026, elevated the stature of the association through devoted service and outstanding leadership, and made significant contributions to harmony and development among the board and members.”

I am simply grateful.

NOTE: Newly elected chairman Lee Gi-woo commented:

“Former Chairman Koo Bon-hong is credited with laying the foundation for the development of AJA by expanding the association’s domestic and international networks, promoting exchanges among members, and strengthening solidarity among journalists during his tenure.

Former Chairman Koo Bon-hong’s dedication and leadership are precious assets to the association. I will carry on that spirit and work toward building an even more advanced Asia Journalist Association.”