Seoul (VNA)🎶 – The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) is among the pioneering news agencies in the Asia-Pacific region in digital transformation and innovation, particularly in the application of artificial intelligence (AI), according to Hwang Dae-il, President of the Republic of Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

Speaking to VNA correspondents in Seoul on the occasion of the agency’s 80th founding anniversary, Hwang recalled that at the February meeting of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) in Kuala Lumpur, VNA representatives highlighted achievements in applying digital technology across the entire news production, editing, and distribution process. These include the use of content management systems (CMS), user data analytics, machine translation, fact-checking, and keyword suggestions. Such efforts, he noted, have improved content quality, placed readers at the centre, and made a strong impression on Yonhap’s leaders. With a network of over 1,000 reporters nationwide and 30 overseas bureaus, the VNA has long established itself as Vietnam’s leading press agency in both scale and influence. According to the Yonhap President, the VNA is a trusted source for the timely dissemination of official information from the Party, State, and Government, while also promptly delivering news about Vietnam to domestic and international audiences. He praised the VNA’s diverse publications for providing fast and accurate information to global readers, noting that its daily output of news, photos, graphics, and multimedia products has become a key source of reference for many international news agencies, including Yonhap. Yonhap correspondents in Hanoi frequently refer to and cite VNA reports, he added. Regarding the two news agencies' cooperation, Hwang emphasised that Yonhap and VNA have advanced together alongside the robust development of Vietnam–RoK relations since 1992. Their close partnership is reflected in regular exchanges of news, photos, videos, graphics, as well as annual personnel exchanges at various levels. Among 97 news agencies from 82 countries collaborating with Yonhap, VNA is regarded as one of the most committed partners. Notably, in 2022, to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the two agencies co-hosted photo exhibitions in both Seoul and Hanoi. Most recently, on August 12, during the state visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam to the RoK, the two sides signed an extended cooperation agreement that included a new provision on Yonhap’s Vietnamese-language news service, marking a new step forward in their strategic partnership. Regarding the VNA’s international prestige, the Yonhap President stressed that the agency has for many years served as a permanent member of the OANA Executive Board, actively contributing to collective activities. The VNA successfully hosted the OANA Executive Board meeting in Hanoi in 2019 and regularly presents papers at OANA sessions. Its string of prestigious awards, including the OANA Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality for 2017–2018 and first prize at the OANA Awards 2024, attests to its growing prestige and standing in the international and regional journalism community, he affirmed./.