When we arrived at BEXCO, our coordinator welcomed us at the entrance and handed out our media IDs. We made sure not to lose the IDs since entry to the summit wouldn't be possible without them. As soon as we entered the building, we went straight to get our media kit bags and then it was on to the Media Room, which was packed with reporters, photographers, videographers and news anchors. Seeing in person the room filled with media personnel from both Korea and abroad, something we had seen only on TV, was quite an experience.

Honorary Reporter Liu Xinzhu from China said, "Being a representative from one of the four major global powerhouses, I was truly honored to be part of this occasion. I'm very glad to participate in this event. I saw a lot of related exhibits and found them very interesting, especially the K-beauty booth."

Jessica Wirastari from Indonesia said, "It was such a great experience for me to be a media representative at this huge event. Usually I only read articles from newspapers or web portals and watched news on TV. But this time, I became a professional media source for finding information for readers. It wasn't an easy thing to do but I was so excited to work behind the scenes like other reporters."

Mahmoud Hamdy from Egypt said, "This was the first time I attended such an event from backstage. To experience life as a professional reporter was such an adventure for me since I come from an art background and am not a writer. Being part of the Korea.net team was a great feeling, and I felt important as everyone treated me like a real journalist. This gave me such an empowering feeling that I want to feel again in more events. I thank the Korea.net team for the support and trust it put in us."

Milton Magana from El Salvador said, "It felt good to be part of such an interesting and creative project because I learned to share my vision of Korea as a media reporter with people from other countries during the ASEAN-ROK summit. And the experience I had at the summit in Busan will permit me to create valuable content to help improve Korea's reputation abroad, and I'm very happy about it."

Alice Hong from Canada said, "I enjoyed it a lot even if we only had a few days to attend and cover the event. I liked the synergy of our group and I hope to visit Busan again and see more of its beautiful sights."

Wendy Palomo from the Philippines said, "It was my first time to be part of the media and in an event of this magnitude. I was in awe as I experienced the security, the professionalism and the efficiency of how things are done. I admire the care that our coordinator consistently gave us. I felt that we were important, too, especially when we were invited to dinner with the (Korean Culture and Information Service) director."

Fellow Filipina Sheena Solis said it was a great honor to attend the accompanying events of the ASEAN-ROK summit, more so as a media representative for Korea.net. Covering the summit was a significant milestone for the team, collaborating and gaining valuable experiences and skills together, she said. Solis added that she hopes the summit's slogan "Partnership for Peace, Prosperity for People" will impact everyone, just as first lady Kim Jung-sook called the team "dandelion seeds of peace."

And as for yours truly, I felt privileged and blessed through this remarkable opportunity to cover this big event. Being inside the Media Room with domestic media outlets such as Arirang TV and Yonhap News and foreign media inspired and motivated me to work hard as an Honorary Reporter. It felt really cool and awesome to see a room filled with media professionals, and I'll be forever grateful and proud for this unforgettable experience.

chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean