Asian Journalists seek for Freedom and Peace in the Korean Peninsular

Article and Photos by Chhay Sophal

Baengnyeoung Island (South Korea): With 10,000 people living, the island of Baengnyeoung or Baekryeongot locating about 12 kilometers from Jangsangot island in North Korea’s Hwanghae province can be easily falling into deadly fighting between the two brotherhood nations.

Separated the two islands by the Yellow Sea, beautiful and natural Baengnyeoung locating in South Korea’s West Sea has 5,000 military forces and 5,000 civilians who are now peaceful working, farming, fishing and doing other business. It, however, serves as the South Korean military stronghold to monitor and observe Hwanghae province of the North daily with 24 hours.

Every day, both South and North Koreans’ military ships patrol along the sea borderline and for sometimes, Chinese and American ships also traveling along the area where Taiwan island and Japan are also nearby.

On 26 March 2010 at 21:22, Cheonan (PCC-772) — one of South Korea’s naval ships – conducting a maritime operation 2.5km away from the Southwest direction of Baengnyeoung sank due to an explosion under the sea. The impact then made the hull separated into head and tail sections, and among 104 crews, 40 were killed and 6 others have been missing so far although the US Navy helped searching.

With the conclusion from the incident, experts from US, UK, Australia, and Sweden noted that the Cheonan (PCC-772) sank due to Torpedo made by North Korea and “Consequently, North Korea’s true colors were shown all over the world by discovery of savage, cruel provocation,” a note at Cheonan Ship 46 Brave Men Monument in Baengnyeoung read.

“To acknowledge our future generations of this tragedy and to remember North Korea’s savagery and honorable sacrifice of 46 men lost in Cheonan, our forces have established a monument where it oversees the place of attack,” the note read.

Based on the situation, the Asian Journalist Association (AJA) with a few dozens of journalists who love freedom and peace from 40 nations in Asia on 29 March 2024 in Baengnyeoung appealed and adopted the “2024 Baengnyeoung Island Freedom and Peace Declaration” for the Korean Peninsular.

In front of Cheonan Ship 46 Brave Men Monument, AJA President Ashraf Aboul-Yazid from Egypt and Vice-President Norila Ziinine from Malaysia jointly read out the declaration pointing to protect peace and freedom in the peninsular.

AJA President Ashraf Aboul-Yazid from Egypt reads out the declaration.

“We oppose the situation where Baengnyeoung Island becomes a flashpoint for inter-Korean confrontation and actively strive to make it a bridgehead for permanent peace,” Ashraf read adding that AJA activity promotes and prepares solution so that Baengnyeoung, the treasure trove of natural resources, can become a premium tourism center that captures hearts of peoples in Korea, Asia and all over the world.

AJA Vice-President Norila Ziinine from Malaysia reads out the declaration.

AJA fosters tangible and intangible core values so that Baengnyeoung can grow into the frontline core area in the era of reunification of the Korean Peninsular and AJA will do its utmost to develop the best content that will help transform Baengnyeoung into a transit port for the West Sea trade in the Northeast Asia, Ashraf read the declaration.

AJA is an international organization dedicated to the fulfilment of truthful and impartial reporting, the realization of press freedom and the advancement of journalism in close cooperation with journalists of Asia.