▲ President Lee Jae-myung
President Lee Jae-myung emphasized, "In today's world where tragedies recur across the globe, the records of journalists uncovering the truth in places where silence is enforced are a powerful force that stops injustice and moves us toward peace."
President Lee made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to the 6th Hinzpeter Awards ceremony held in the main conference room of the former South Jeolla Provincial Government Building on Thursday (Nov. 5), stating, "I express my deep gratitude and respect to all video journalists, including the award winners, who held cameras at the risk of their lives in conflict zones across the globe where democracy and human rights are under threat."
He added, "I hope this award will serve as a strong pillar of support for courageous journalists who bring the truth trapped in darkness out into the world."
The Hinzpeter Awards is an international journalism award established in 2021 to commemorate the journalistic spirit of the late German journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter, who brought the truth of the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980 to the world.
Sponsored by the Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City, the awards are jointly organized by the May 18 Memorial Foundation and the Korea Video Journalists Association to reflect on the meaning of video journalism in documenting the values of democracy, human rights, and peace, and to expand the public role of the press.
This year's grand prize, the "World at a Crossroads Award," went to the documentary "Inside Gaza," which features three years of work and testimonies of journalists who risked their lives to document and report on the ground in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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