As part of the World Journalists Conference (WJC) 2025, organized by the Journalists Association of Korea, media representatives from over 50 countries were taken on an immersive journey through some of South Korea’s most iconic cultural, historical, and technological landmarks.
The tour began at Camp Greaves, a former U.S. military base located just 2 kilometers from the Southern Limit Line of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Once an important American military base from 1953 to 2004, the site has since been repurposed into a history, culture, and arts center, and has recently gained fame as a filming location for dramas and music videos.
Another symbolic stop was the Odusan Unification Tower in Paju, Gyeonggi-do Province.
It is a leading symbol of peace and hope for Korean reunification. It is situated in the northernmost ceasefire line of the western front where the Hangang River and Imjingang River meet. This observation deck is just 2 kilometers from North Korea, permitting visitors to look at a North Korean village from afar.
Here, the media representatives also enjoyed an energetic performance of Pungmul, a traditional Korean percussion band, as well as a spectacular Eoreum tightrope walking show filled with humor and skill, performed on a 3-meter-high rope spanning 10 meters.
Next, the group explored Suwon city, where the journalists visited the famous Starfield Library in the heart of COEX Mall. It is an open public space where anyone can freely come to sit down, take a break, and immerse themselves in books along with other book lovers.
In Siheung, a dynamic city in Gyeonggi Province, journalists learned about the Sihwa Lake Restoration Project.
Sihwa, which literally translates as ‘finally bright’ in Korean, is an artificial lake located between the cities of Siheung and Hwaseong on the western coast of South Korea and part of its territory is located directly within the city of Siheung. The area features a complex coastline, characterized by its shallow depths and significant tidal range.
A road-like bridge connects the two cities, serving as a dividing line between the artificial lake and the open sea.
Sihwa Lake was formed in 1994 by a 12.7-kilometer dike to create a freshwater source for agriculture. However, it soon became contaminated by polluted wastewater from nearby industries, making it unusable for its intended purpose.
A large tidal power plant was built on the dike in 2009, aiming to generate electricity and also improve water quality through increased circulation of seawater. Artificial wetlands were created to biologically filter the water, and the ecosystem was gradually restored.
The journey concluded in Incheon, where participants visited the National Museum of World Writing Systems in Songdo.
This is the third museum of its kind in the world. The museum houses 244 documents showcasing writing systems from around the globe and 543 related artifacts. Among them are tablets inscribed with the ancient Babylonian epic of the Great Flood, known as the Epic of Atrahasis, (2000–1600 BCE), written in Akkadian cuneiform, and the 42-line Gutenberg Bible — the first Bible in the West printed using movable metal type invented by Johannes Gutenberg (1400–1468). The exhibition also features Luther’s Bible, the first edition of the Wittenberg Bible (a German translation of the Old Testament by Protestant reformer Martin Luther), and Natural History, the first encyclopedia on Roman history, written by writer and statesman Pliny the Elder.
Just steps away in Songdo Central Park, journalists also observed cutting-edge technology that channels seawater into artificial streams, enjoyed water taxi ride, and admired the innovative cityscape.
