< Vol.17 >
A summit conference
Impression of the live
Web page for a summit conference A summit conference between Japan and South Korea was held Jan.25 and 26 in Beppu city. It was new friendly exchange which the world cup soccer had brought. And it would also bring good result to Beppu; yes, to Kyushu and the whole Japan. So we took delight in the summit. After New Year's Day, this event got to be talked about in the electric meeting of the personal computer communication. Then someone suggested that we shall make the Web page for it as this is nice chance to have Beppu known by all the world. "But, how should we get information?", " How about getting an official information regularly?", "How should we get that?" The plan was getting bigger and bigger. That was why we consulted with Public Relations and Hearing Section of Oita Prefecture. It answered " Well, as this will be the best chance to give publicity to the world, that's nice. We going to consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." As CNN live There was no precedent for this attempt. Once they set the precedent, it would be serious later. Though I heard it later, they had been troubling with this overture. After all, the COARA especially had certificate of reporter, and was allowed to sit down the press gallery stealthily. We brought digital video camera there. 30minutes after the end of the press conference, we reported " different time live video" up to the other side of the earth, as CNN, who knows? Besides, we started the service that everybody can watch whatever he want to see at any time in video on demand. Then I noticed. Because of the limit of the space or the time, established mass media can not report all the information. But in the case of the Internet, there is very little limit. We reported complete press conference of the President and the prime minister from the beginning to the end. And we wrote down all the briefing of the Governor of Oita Hiramathu and the Mayor of Beppu Inoue, reported it completely. Impressive speech These official information become object of retrieval. Our attempt of the opening of information come close to that of America which is in the most advanced situation. It seemed the first case in the world that the Internet station reported and sent the information of the official event like a summit conference between Japan and South Korea kept strict guard. I heard that later the people of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said " I see, this case turn out so." . By the way, it was very impressive press conference. Both Japanese and South Korean reporter asked them question about the remark of the "comfort women" issue of Kjiyama the chief secretary of the cabinet. "Japanese statesman repeat similar remark again and again. Can both people build up friendly relations under such circumstances?" Kim President answered " We can't hide the past. We must admit the plain facts. Both of the Europe and the ASEAN overcame same difficulties and now they are being in harmony. We have to get along together after the model of them. As South Korea and Japan have special relation, we must overcome the past, but securely realize the past fact as they are, besides we must go for the future. An immature media I felt tremendous power at the real press conference. It seemed, so to speak, he made an appeal to the people that we should endure and endure, force the emotion in ourselves, bit the lips, - my dear fellow, you would get angry, you would be pained, but please endure- and dream the future, face forward. I, as a citizen, thought his speech really touched a heart. While I saw him, I remembered Mrs.Urathuka, a member of the COARA and a housewife She, who had an experience of the war in her school days, said "I want to go to South Korea once before I die, see a woman of same generation, and apologize from bottom of my heart as a Japanese." She could realized that last year. She only just had a chance to go to South Korea by "Oita Prefecture's Woman Ship" under the sponsorship of Oita Prefecture. After that she talked about the story in the electric meeting of the personal computer communication. Though the Internet grow up and give information the people in the world on demand, it can't bring the impression of the live, and the reality of this occasion. The Internet is an immature media. I thought so at that time.

written by Tooru Ono, the chief of the NEW COARA secretariat


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