By Joung Haseung and Anais Faure 
Video = Kim Sunjoo and Lee Jun Young

KOCIS Center, a hub for foreign correspondents in Seoul, on March 25 marked its 100-day anniversary.

The Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Dec. 15 last year inaugurated the center, which was an expanded and renovated version of the former Foreign Press Center Korea. The new facility is on the 10th floor of the Korea Press Center in Seoul's Jung-gu District. 

The center is designed to support the activities of foreign media correspondents based in Seoul and visiting journalists covering Korea. 

As a point of communication between government institutions and foreign media, the center features facilities for international journalists and their interaction with the government like a multipurpose hall, conference room, lounge and cafeteria, private workspaces and reception rooms.

In addition to releasing important schedules for foreign correspondents such as news conferences and press tours, the center helps global coverage of Korea by hosting policy briefings, distributing news releases, assisting in the reservation of workspaces and issuance of media credentials. 

Since its opening, the center has hosted two news conferences, one policy briefing and 11 interviews. 

KOCIS Center features a lounge and cafeteria, reception rooms, private workspaces, studio and editing room, conference and video conference rooms, and a complimentary coffee station. (Anais Faure)

The 72-seat multipurpose hall at KOCIS Center hosts events for foreign correspondents such as news conferences and policy briefings. With a simultaneous interpretation room, the hall also has an extra-large LED display and sound equipment. Shown here is Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Moon Seong-Hyeok (center) on Jan. 20 holding the center's first news conference, attracting journalists from 14 foreign media outlets based in nine countries. (Jeon Han)

KOCIS Center's lounge and cafeteria allows foreign journalists to hold talks with news sources and communicate with their colleagues. Coffee and tea are available free of charge. Shown here is Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee (second from left) on Jan. 12 giving an interview to a Vietnamese media outlet. (Jeon Han)

The reception room hosts private meetings of or interviews with high-ranking government officials. The photo shows Yi Chongyul, director general of the Korean Culture and Information Service, on Feb. 17 talking to Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Daul Matute-Mejia. (Kim Sunjoo)

At the first news conference hosted by the center on Jan. 20, Andrew Salmon, Northeast Asia correspondent for The Asia Times, a Hong Kong-based English-language news site, thanked the Korean government for the center, saying, "I think it’s very, very kind and gentle of the Korean government to provide this kind of space for the benefit of foreign correspondents.”

"I don't know of any other government in the world that does this, so kind of kudos to the Korean government," he added. "It's good for communication, it’s a good downtown location, so I look forward to using it." 

KOCIS Director General Yi Chongyul said, "I hope that KOCIS Center becomes the first door that foreign correspondents knock on when covering Korea."

jhaseung@korea.kr