Herald Japan holds launch dinner in Tokyo, vows to bridge people and cultures of two countries

Herald Japan, which made its debut in Japan last month, formally announced its launch at an event in Tokyo.

Herald Japan held an invitation-only dinner Thursday in Shin-Okubo, Tokyo, drawing more than 100 guests including officials from the Korean Embassy in Japan and figures from the business and cultural communities of both countries. The civilian exchange organization HOPE NK organized the event.

The dinner followed a special performance by singer Yun Hyung-joo titled "Tokyo, a Night with Songs," held earlier that evening at Yotsuya Kumin Hall in Tokyo. The concert and dinner flowed together as one program, marking the occasion of Herald Japan's launch.

From the Korean Embassy in Japan, Minister Choi Young-bae, Minister-Counselor Myeong Dong-jin and Ministry of Economy and Finance Director Kim Si-dong attended. From Korea, Kim Ok-chae, an adviser at Kim & Chang, and Shin Hyun-tae, president of the Global Management Research Institute, made the trip to Tokyo, as did Kim Hye-yeon, team leader of Herald Muse at Herald Media Group.

Local partners and cultural figures also attended. Song Won-seo, a professor at HOPE NK, was joined by Lee Jeong-uk, CEO of Kung Japan, a Japanese partner organization, along with singer Kim Hee-jin and actor Jeong Hyeon-seok. Yun Hyung-joo, the star of that evening's concert, attended the dinner with his wife, Kim Bo-kyung.

Kim Se-jin, CEO and Tokyo bureau chief of Herald Japan, expressed gratitude to those in attendance. "Next year will mark 20 years since I came to Japan," he said. "Many people offered advice and support as I found my footing in an unfamiliar country and made it to where I am today. I was able to get here because of all of you, who reached out when times were hard and lent your strength every time I started something new."

Kim also laid out a vision for Herald Japan to grow into a media and cultural platform connecting Korea and Japan, building on the establishment of its Japanese corporate entity. "I will do my best to help Herald Japan grow into a media outlet that delivers news from Korea and Japan and connects the people and cultures of the two countries," he said. "We will listen to voices on the ground and repay your support with accurate, trustworthy reporting."

Beyond its news coverage of major developments in both countries, Herald Japan plans to expand people-to-people exchange through cultural events, economic cooperation activities and the building of personal networks.