By Honorary Reporter Geanina Voicu from Romania
Photos = Anamaria Nedelcoff

The World Journalists Conference convened at the Seoul Press Center in the capital's Jung-gu District on March 31, bringing together 62 journalists from 52 countries and prominent speakers from renowned media organizations. 

The Journalists Association of Korea, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organized this year's event focusing on artificial intelligence's (AI) impact on journalism and the media's role in taking on environmental challenges. 

I had the opportunity to interview Romania's representative Anamaria Nedelcoff. The following are excerpts from our face-to-face conversation on May 10 in Bucharest, Romania. 

The opening ceremony of the World Journalists Conference on March 31 was held at the Seoul Press Center in Seoul's Jung-gu District on March 31, attracting 62 representatives from 52 countries.

She attended the event with support from the Korean Embassy in Bucharest and Ambassador Rim Kap-soo. A veteran TV journalist with over 20 years of experience and now working at Antena 3 CNN and Bucharest Bulletin, Nedelcoff specializes in investigative journalism, creative writing and media marketing. 

Her coverage spans politics, economics and sociocultural events. A enthusiast of Korean culture, language, traditional music and history, Nedelcoff fulfilled her longstanding dream of visiting Korea before turning age 40. 

She said she made unexpected friendships among participants who shared common professional interests. "We became friends at the hotel before the conference started," she said. "We called ourselves by our country names, as it was easier."

On if AI can replace media, participants emphasized irreplaceable human elements in journalism. Despite technological advances, they said human qualities such as empathy, perseverance and understanding remain essential for effective problem solving and investigative reporting. 

Yet AI's potential benefits was also noted. "AI-powered journalism can become superjournalism," one presenter said, highlighting AI's capacity to streamline workflow and expedite article writing and translation while emphasizing the necessity of human oversight.

Participants bonded over shared interests, displayed their passports (left) and took a group photo after the conference.

Beyond professional discussions, participants experienced Korean culture through visits to Anseong, Gyeonggi-do Province, Incheon, Siheung, Gyeonggi-do, and Jeju Island. They sampled traditional foods like fried octopus, grilled mackerel, raw sea urchin, kimchi and tteok (rice cake) and explored landmarks such as the Demilitarized Zone, Jeju's Stone Park, and Deoksugung Palace and Insa-dong in Seoul.  

msjeon22@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.