New Catholic media body formed in South Korea

A group of media bodies in South Korea—SIGNIS Seoul / Korea, Catholic Press Council, and Catholic Newspaper Publishers Association—has united as Catholic Communication Association (CCA).

The formation of a new media organization took place during the SIGNIS Seoul/Korea general assembly on January 18.

SIGNIS is the worldwide Catholic association for audiovisual, broadcast, and new media.

Young-jun Lorenzo Lee, a TV producer, an executive director of KBS, the representative TV station of Korea, has been elected as the first chairman of CCA.

Lee was also elected as the president of SIGNIS Korea. He succeeds Seungwal Francis Kim, who finished his two-year term as SIGNIS Seoul/Korea.

“Congratulations on the inauguration of the new organization and the inauguration of the newly appointed chairman,” Kim said on his social media post.

“I have resigned after my term as President of SIGNIS Seoul/Korea. Thank you all for your support so far,” Kim added.

The emergence of new Catholic media organization is a functional adaptation to the digital media ecosystem, said Kim, treasurer of SIGNIS Asia.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the organizing of several activities of SIGNIS Asia and other Catholic media bodies are greatly affected. 

“We have been struggling with Corona over the past few years, but we have the power and potential for recovery. All existing activities will continue as an integrated organization,” Kim said. 

He also urged all the members to support the Catholic Communication Association to grow and fulfill the call of the media apostolic office under the leadership of Lee Young-jun. 

SIGNIS was formed in November 2001 by the merger of the International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual (OCIC) and the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television (UNDA).  

“Thank God for allowing us to work together as Catholic media workers in South Korea,” said Kim.

He also thanked the senior Catholic media men and women who have worked hard to build the trust of the community for the last 40 years.

“We thank all Catholic media workers in the country and church authorities for participating and being with us in the difficult situation of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Kim added.

The country will host the 2022 SIGNIS World Congress which is scheduled to be held at Sogang University in Seoul from August 16 to 19, 2022. The theme for the event is “Peace in the Digital World.”